Caitlin
by Amanda Hawthorn
Summary: She should have fought, she should have tried harder, but in the end she was fighting all on her own... COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately I still don't own Burn Notice or these characters.**

**Rating: T**

**This is a post AU Long way Back story. **

_**So many times she thought about what she had left behind in Ireland and no matter how much she tried to justify her actions the guilt dominated much of her time because she should have fought, she should have tried harder, but in the end she was fighting the battle all alone…**_

**A/N: This story started in my head many, many months ago but I kept pushing it back because I didn't know if I could make it work. So long story short, I wrote a rough piece and sent it to Purdy's Pal and DaisyDay ready to delete it and got back these words from Purdy's pal- 'DON'T YOU DARE!' **

**So you all have her and DaisyDay to thank for this not being trashed! **

**As always huge thanks to purdy's Pal, DaisyDay, Jedi Skysinger and haunted-Eternity for listening to my ideas and for being such wonderful friends. **

**As always thank you so much to everyone who reviewed my last story. I really do appreciate all of your comments.**

Caitlin

"_It's tha only way, Fiona. Yer brought a child into tha world outta wedlock an tha farder is nowhere ta be found. How'd ya think ya can hide a child from O'Neill when yer have ta run…yer not thinkin' wit ya head girl…"_

"_Ma I'll not be leavin' without me babby," Fiona cried, shaking her head fiercely as she held the infant in her arms. "Yer not takin' har."_

"_Listen ta yerself girl. Yer can't take a babby outta Ireland wid ya…she'll be safer wid yer brother. Patrick will take care a har."_

"_But ma—"_

"_Where's tha fader?" her mother's voice boomed. "Show me tha fader and yer can keep tha child wit ya."_

"_I don't know," Fiona shook her head and let the tears slip easily down her cheeks. "He left."_

"_He left ya wid a babby in yer belly…he ain't comin' back fer yer now."_

"_He didn't know—"_

"_Ten he shouldn'ta been in yer bed commitin' sin. It's done Fiona…Pat's comin' fer tha babby an yer can get outta Ireland befer O'Neill knows yer gone."_

"_I'm not givin' me babby away, mammy…I can't leave without har."_

"_Ya have ta girl…ya know it's tha right thin' ta do."_

_Fiona looked down her daughter's sleeping face and shook her head as the helplessness sank into her heart. Her baby had her father's eyes and jet black hair and she was the only part of him that she could hold on to. How could she leave her daughter behind to save herself? She couldn't do it..._

"_He got ya inta this mess in tha first place," Colleen Glenanne told her firmly, her voice losing some of its fire. "If it were'na fer him you'd ha never met Thomas O'Neill."_

"_Michael didn't know I stopped ta bombs till after I done it, ma…ya can't blame—"_

"_I blame him fer getting ya pregnant," Colleen snapped angrily. "Both a ya should a thought about what yer were doin'…instead a bringin' an innocent inta tha world…"_

"_I can't leave har mammy…I'll hide…I'll take har away…I'll—"_

"_How a ya goin' ta support har? Have ya thought about tha'?" Colleen asked, imploring her daughter to see sense. "Ya have ta leave har behind…"_

"_How can I leave har behind?" Fiona's voice broke as she sobbed. "She's ma child."_

"_Fiona, she will always be ya babby…no one wants ta take har away but ya can't take har on tha run…ya can't."_

_The door opened and Fiona's older brother came into the house holding a manila envelope in his hands. _

"_Armand stuck ta his word sis…tha' job ya did fer im got ya yer ticket outta Ireland." When Fiona didn't answer Patrick glanced towards his mother worriedly before he placed the envelope containing Fiona's new identity onto the kitchen table. He regarded his sister with guilty eyes as he reached out to take the child from her._

"_No," she told him firmly as she clutched the infant tighter to her breast. "I want ta hold har. I'll bring har."_

"_Marie's waitin' fer ya back at tha house…got tha room all nice fer har."_

_Wordlessly, Fiona stood up and turned her back on her mother as she held her daughter tightly to her chest. Picking up the envelope with one of her hands she walked out of the house without a backwards glance, knowing she would never forgive the woman who called her name as she walked out of the door._

000

Fiona listened to the man breathing deeply beside her and stared up at the white lace drapes around her bed. Sleep seemed to elude her these days, especially after her near return to Ireland had been nipped in the bud before she had even had a chance to finish packing.

The last month had passed her by to leave her in a daze. Thoughts of home dredged up old memories and the deep ache of loss seemed to loom over her all the time lately. Since O'Neill, Fiona had felt the pain of never being able to return home pierce through her.

There had always been a thought in the back of her mind that she could one day return to Ireland and reclaim the part of her that was taken but now that the possibility was gone, she just couldn't help the feelings of complete and utter desolation that seemed to be permanently dominating her moods. She had stopped trying to make sense of Michael's obsession with his job and instead had become accepting rather than challenging him at every step. Maybe somewhere inside she knew she was in a fight that she just couldn't win, no matter how hard she tried.

So much had changed between them in that short time but even now, she still felt as if she was constantly trying to prove to him that she belonged in his life. She knew he would always want his job first and that she slipped further down his list of priorities. So many times she thought about what she had left behind in Ireland and no matter how much she tried to justify her actions the guilt dominated much of her time because she should have fought, she should have tried harder but in the end she was fighting the battle all alone..

Regret weighed her down and she'd known all along that was why she could never settle. There was always something else to keep her mind from wandering and if there wasn't she did everything she could to prevent the inevitable pull of sleep. Sleep meant dreams, and dreams meant remembering…and even after all these years her memories were still fresh and too painful.

Two days ago they had finally managed to spend some time alone together, something that was becoming rarer as the time went on. Fiona had learned to accept the fact that the man she loved dropped her in seconds when someone claiming to be able to help him get, 'back in' came along. She'd heard it all before, every excuse and every empty promise, but now she didn't argue any more.

She knew he was concerned when she took a step back and maybe part of him was a little afraid she was still planning to leave, but she was trying so hard to be understanding. He had given up a lot when he'd come back for her after O'Neill's attempts to take her back to Ireland had failed. But he had to understand that she had given up a lot too.

Part of her ached for home and not just for the family she had left behind. Closing her eyes she tried to force the images of the green fields of home away. Despite everything that kept her ties with Ireland alive, she couldn't go back and she had given up every chance of seeing her daughter again. Being with the man beside her had cost her dearly, and not just because she couldn't ever go home.

Shifting onto her side she watched him while he slept. She had made so many sacrifices, and there were things she had never told him. She found herself wondering what his reaction would have been if he'd known. He may have left her that night back in Ireland but he had left part of himself within her. Ten months later she was forced to flee her home land in total heartbreak that ripped her in two, all because she had to leave to protect the tiny life that she and Michael had created.

Fiona had told Sam once that everyone had skeletons in their closets and she knew how true that statement had been. She knew she had done things she regretted, terrible things that she'd used to try and numb the ache that was constantly inside her. Nothing worked to ease that deep seated longing and if she was in a different state of mind she would have realised that when she was forced to leave she wasn't thinking for herself. She was young, afraid and angry all at once, so when her mother made the decision for her, telling her it was the only way, she had bowed under her dominating pressure.

She had never been strong enough to stand up to the force that was her mother. After Claire died she had become almost impossible to live with and everything Fiona tried to do always seemed to be wrong. So when she came home to face her mother with the news that would change her life forever, she'd known she would be facing the wrath of her fiercely Irish temper.

That was five years ago and she had never forgiven her mother for what she'd forced her to do. Even though Fiona's brother raised her daughter with his own children, he sent her regular photographs and made sure her daughter knew who she was. The life she led was no good for a child but she couldn't help wondering what life would have been like if she'd had her daughter with her when she'd found Michael again.

A bang on the door brought her out of her memories and she sat up in the bed to grab her SIG from under the pillow. Her movements woke Michael, his eyes opening slowly as he reached for her to pull her back down beside him. She shook off his hand when the banging sounded again causing him to sit bolt upright before he climbed out of the bed.

"Are you expecting anyone?" he asked her as he quickly pulled on his jeans and t shirt before he reached for the gun beneath his pillow.

"What do you think Michael?" she snapped anxiously, still too raw from her memories. "The only visitor I have is you and you're already here!"

Pulling on her robe she made her way out of the bedroom and towards the front door where a shadow loomed behind the frosted glass. Since O'Neill's appearance everyone had been on high alert. Michael came out behind her and surged passed to stand beside the doorframe. He could see the tiredness in her eyes and he knew she hadn't been sleeping, but since he'd almost lost her he had tried to be more supportive, but all he seemed to do was make her mad.

She looked over at him now with anger in her eyes. He was trying to be her knight in shining armour but she'd never told him he'd arrived on his white charger five years too late.

"Fiona…" a voice yelled followed by banging again before he called out her name once more.

Fiona recognised her brother's voice instantly and exchanged a worried glance with Michael before she moved towards the door to pull it open, without releasing her gun.

"Fiona," Sean breathed heavily as he stepped through the door. "I've been calling ya and Michael…neither one a ya answered yer damn phones."

"What are you doing here, Sean?" she asked him as she looked across to Michael who stepped out of the shadows. "Michael's here."

Sean nodded a greeting to the other man before turning back to his sister with regret in his eyes. Stepping closer he touched her shoulder and tried to find the right words to say. "There was some trouble back home an people were askin' too many questions. We had ta get har outta Ireland fast."

"What are you talking about Sean?" Fiona asked in confusion as she searched his eyes. "Get who out?"

Before he could answer another voice sounded from behind him to reveal the face of a man she hadn't seen in a very long time. Her eyes widened in surprise and her lips lifted into a large smile when her youngest brother Seamus appeared behind Sean.

"Hey sis," he beamed before casting a suspicious look towards the man who had essentially stolen his sister from his life. The fire in his eyes burned bright as he spoke a name that had caused much hatred throughout the Glenanne family, _"McBride."_

"Seamus," Michael nodded not really quite knowing what to say. Glancing down at his bare feet Michael was suddenly conscious of the fact that it was blatantly obvious the he had been sharing a bed with their sister. He tried to form some kind of apology but before he could utter a word a little girl with long dark hair pushed passed her uncle to peer around his legs.

Michael's voice died in his throat when he caught sight of the small child dwarfed by Fiona's brother. She was dressed in pink denim dungarees and clutched a rag doll in her arms as she blinked up at the adult's in the room. It wasn't until she looked across at Fiona with recognition sparking in her eyes that he turned to watch his girlfriend transform into someone he had never seen before.

Fiona's eyes grew wide and she looked down at the gun in her hand. She was fast becoming flustered when she couldn't seem to find anywhere to put it. Moving around the room she stepped towards the high shelves that housed her snow globes and placed it on the highest shelf before she turned back around.

"Caitlin?" she all but whispered when her eyes met the child who was looking back up at her with apprehensive eyes.

"Look, I'm sorry sis," Sean started, "but I had ta smuggle har out…Pat said he'd called ya."

Shaking her head Fiona held up her hand to silence him and took a step towards him. Making her movements slow she knelt down until she was the same height as the child and held out her hand, holding back the tears as she smiled. "Do you know who I am?"

Beside her Michael could feel his heart thundering inside his chest. He had never seen Fiona so gentle with anything other than her sparkling new guns, before now. She had always been full of passion and fire, not calm and maternal. So when the child nodded her head he found himself holding his breath.

Lifting his eyes to Sean he was going to ask him what was going on but he was surprised to see that both of Fiona's brothers were watching her interaction with the child so intensely that neither of them even noticed he was still in the room. Fiona's soft voice brought him back to her and he found himself watching her in curiosity as well as wonder when she slowly edged closer to the small girl.

"You were a baby the last time I saw you," she told her softly. "I held you so tight and I don't know who was crying more, you or me," she whispered. "Uncle Patrick sends me photos of you all the time…but you're so much prettier now I can see you."

"I have yer picture too," Caitlin told her almost shyly as she stepped out from behind her uncle's legs. "Ya wan ta see?"

"I would love to see," Fiona told her softly, trying desperately hard not to succumb to the emotion in her voice. Looking down at the rag doll in the child's arms she was transported to a night five years ago when she had held that little doll in her hands. She could remember crying into it as she held onto it so tight when she stood over the tiny baby in a crib.

"_I promise ya she'll be looked after Fiona."_

_Fiona looked up at her sister in law with haunted eyes before turning to gaze down into the crib again. Reaching inside she laid her hand over her tiny baby and felt herself break. Her hands shifted to a little rag doll that she'd brought for her daughter before she was born and plucked it out of the crib to hold it against her face. Caitlin's scent lingered over the doll and she was torn between taking it with her as a reminder of what she was losing, or to leave it behind so the baby had a remembrance of her. One tear carved a wet track down her face only to be followed by another, and then another until she was sobbing uncontrollably as she clung to the rag doll like a life line._

_Marie stepped closer and tried to comfort her but Fiona shook her hand away. Shaking her head she wiped her face with the back of her hand and placed the doll back into the crib before laying her hand on her daughter's back one last time._

"_Fiona—"_

_Gasping in a breath, Fiona's voice caught on a sob as she turned to rush out of the room before grabbing her bag along the way. Her brother's Patrick and Sean tried to stop her before she got to the front door but she barged passed them, sobbing uncontrollably as she did._

_Patrick ran out after her and caught hold of her arm before she could flee, pulling her around to face him._

"_I promise I will take care a har, Fi…I'll send ya picture's so I will…mammy thought—"_

"_Don't ya be mentionin' har name ta me," she growled. "Ya all conspired ta take ma babby."_

"_Fiona…" Patrick reached out for her and tried to pull her into his arms but she turned around and punched him, shattering his nose._

"_I HATE THA WHOLE STINKIN' LOT A YA," she screamed when he tried to reach for her again despite his nose streaming with blood. _

"_We'll make sure…she knows who har mammy is Fi," he called to her as she turned away from him again. "I'll send ya pictures…Fiona…"_

"_She's gone Pat," Sean told him when he came to stand beside his brother. "Made a mess too by tha looks a ya."_

"_Ya…"Patrick sighed sadly when he tried to find his sister in the darkness but she was already gone. "We better go back inside."_

Tucking the doll under her arm, Caitlin came towards her and pulled a heart shaped locket out from beneath her shirt to clutch it in her hand. She looked up at Fiona and beamed a smile that caused the man beside her mother to gasp in a breath.

Michael regarded the child and put his gun into the back of his jeans when he realised he was looking down at a younger version of Fiona. Her hair was jet black and fell in silken strands just below her shoulder. The child couldn't be no more than five years old, but he couldn't even fathom the possibilities right now.

His mind counted backwards as he mentally tried to do the math in his head from that last night in Ireland before he'd left without a word. Questions began to form in his head, but when the little girl pulled the necklace open with a triumphant squeal he lost all power of speech.

"Look," Caitlin smiled as she stepped closer to Fiona and leant on her shoulder so she could show her the photo inside the locket. "It's you."

"I can see," Fiona told her with a watery smile as she brushed her fingers over her dark hair. "And you still have the doll I gave to you when you were a tiny baby…just before I had to leave…"

"Uncle Pat said ya had ta go," Caitlin told her as she looked up at her mother with curious eyes. "Do ya not have ta go now?"

"No," Fiona told her, choking on her words as she reached out to pull the child into her arms. Her eyes snapped closed as she held on tight before kissing the little girls hair as she gently rocked them from side to side. "I never wanted to leave you, baby…"

Michael watched the scene before him unfold and he was finding it increasingly difficult to tear his eyes away. Glancing up at the two men who both seemed to relax when Fiona held the little girl, he finally found his voice and coughed to gain their attention. "Sean…what's going on?"

"When word got out tha' you were American, we had ta get har outta Ireland," Sean told him, expecting him to understand. "Pat started ta worry when people began askin' questions about tha babby."

Michael shook his head and was about to ask him to explain what he meant when he heard something that caused his words to dry up in his throat. The little girl that was holding so tightly to Fiona slowly pulled away to put two little hands on either side of her face.

"Ya sound funny mammy?" she giggled as she leaned forward to kiss her mother soundly before putting her arms around her neck.

Fiona laughed and cried at the same time as she wrapped her arms around her again before pulling her back again to look at her. Running her hand over the little girl's soft hair she sniffed back the tears as she smiled.

"You think mommy talks funny?" she asked.

Caitlin nodded her head and leaned against her mother so they were cheek to cheek as she stared over at a dark haired man who was looking at her strangely.

"Who's tha'?" she whispered shyly when he started to move slowly towards them.

Fiona closed her eyes briefly before she opened them again and took a breath. How could she tell her daughter that the man who was looking at her with so much suspicion was actually her father? She had taken his rejection so many times and survived it but she wasn't about to subject her daughter to the same thing.

"That's Michael," she told her softly as she slowly pulled away to hold onto her hands. "He's a friend of mine."

"Like Jamie?" Caitlin asked with a bright smile. "He's ma frien' too."

Michael swallowed heavily and slowly took a step closer towards them, not sure if his suspicions were right. When the little girl looked up at him with eyes that were like looking in a mirror, he couldn't help the gasp that escaped his lips. This child…Fiona's child…she was…his?

"Now waita minute," Sean started as he caught the look on Michael's face. "Yer didn't know?"

"Sean," Fiona snapped. "Not now…" Standing to her feet she held her hand out to her daughter and smiled down at her. "Are you hungry?"

Caitlin nodded her head and cast her eyes towards Michael before leaning into her mother's leg. Tugging on her robe to gain her attention, she was rewarded when Fiona dropped her gaze down to hers and smiled.

"Why don't you go out to the car with Uncle Seamus so he can bring in the rest of your things," she told her softly. "Then we'll find some space to put your clothes, okay?"

"Am I stayin' now?" Caitlin asked her with wide, worried eyes.

Fiona felt her eyes fill with tears as she nodded slowly, dread suddenly filtering into her heart. She didn't know if she could survive another rejection. "That's only if you want to…I'll understand if you want to stay with Uncle Sean."

"Uncle Pat said I coul' stay wit ya mammy," Caitlin told her. "Can I?"

Fiona was on her knees before her daughter in seconds and lifted her fingers to her little face. "I've missed you so much Caitlin," she whispered brokenly. "If you stay with me now I don't think I can ever let you go again…is that going to be okay?"

Caitlin nodded as she glanced over towards Michael again and looked up at him. Leaning into her mother again she offered him a shy smile and hid her face away when he smiled back at her.

"Come on squirt," Seamus stepped forward and reached down to swing Caitlin into his arms. "Me, Uncle Sean an ya are gonna go find a shop an get ya some breakfast."

"Can mammy come too?" she squealed against him when tickled her side.

Fiona felt the sudden urge to steal her daughter from her brother's arms, still feeling the raw emotions of the night she left raging within her. Stepping closer she gasped in a breath, this felt a lot like it did five years ago.

"We'll bring har back," Sean told her reassuringly as he squeezed her shoulder. "I promise ya, Fiona."

Fiona's heart thundered inside her chest and all she wanted was for her daughter to be back in her arms. Pushing passed Sean she reached for Caitlin and plucked her away from her brother to hold the little girl against her in a desperate embrace before she slowly relinquished her hold and released her into her brother's care. The little girl took hold of her uncle's hand and turned to wave at her mother before hopping out of the door, giggling while she went.

Sean turned to look at Fiona's haunted eyes and was about to reassure her again but she turned on him, her fists already clenched.

"I swear Sean, if you take her away from me again I WILL kill you. I'll kill all of you…"

"Fiona—"

"I mean it Sean. Bring her back to me."

Sean regarded her for a moment before he nodded his head and turned towards the door. Looking back over his shoulder he glanced at Michael who was still looking shell shocked before addressing his sister. "Ya need ta tell him tha truth."

Fiona gasped in a breath when he turned away from her again and disappeared out of the door to leave the two of them alone. Swallowing the lump in her throat she kept her back to him before she found the courage to speak the words she knew he needed to know.

"She's yours."

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you for all of your reviews, PM's and favourite story and author adds. I'm completely surprised with the response to this story, and I am very humbled by all of your comments.**

**As always I'd like to thank Purdy's Pal and DaisyDay for reading through parts of this. Both of you as well as Jedi Skysinger and haunted-Eternity are some of the most talented and nicest people I've ever known.**

2

Silence echoed around the room causing the thudding of Fiona's heart in her chest to seem so much louder. Everything was muddled inside her head and the heartache from the past was colliding with the feelings now churning with her. Those empty, desolate emotions that had caused her to cry herself to sleep on the lonely nights after she'd left Ireland had all seemed to surge back inside her.

Biting her lip to stop a sob from escaping she focused on the empty space where her little girl had been standing only moments ago. Already the ache of loss resounded inside her heart and she couldn't seem to shake it this time. What if Caitlin grew up to resent her for missing the first five years of her life? What if she didn't want to stay? Movement behind her forced her back into the present and she suddenly didn't know what she was supposed to do now.

She knew she had to face the consequences of keeping Caitlin a secret, even though her reasons seemed to be so plausible at the time. Swallowing the lump in her throat she closed her eyes before she trusted her voice not to break when she spoke.

"I'm sorry."

"When?" his voice was low, eliciting a deep tone of shock as he tried to fathom what had just happened. "When were you going to tell me, Fiona?"

Shaking her head she turned around to face him and felt herself grow weak in the wake of the resentment that was rolling off of him in waves.

""Wha—"

"How could you forget to mention to me that I had a daughter?" he asked lowly as he stepped towards her. "Were you ever going to tell me?"

"I…it wasn't—"

"Why?" he ask her, his voice slipping even lower as he came to stand before her, "Just tell me why you did it, Fiona."

"Why?" she asked, her voice breaking as she spoke. "You say that as if I had a choice—"

"YOU _had_ a choice," he snapped angrily, unable to reign in the bitterness from his voice. "YOU _chose_ not to tell me."

"It wasn't…they told me I had to leave her," her voice shook as she spoke and she found herself turning away from him to avoid his gaze. "I wanted to tell you so many times but in the end I had to do what was best for you."

"Who gave you the right to decide what is best for me?" His voice rose again as he took a step closer, trying so hard to curb the anger from his words. "You should have told me."

"How could I? You're always so wrapped up in your damn job; everything you do revolves around it."

"This again," he groaned as he threw his arms in the air. "You know how important getting my job back is to me."

"Yes I know Michael you tell me enough times, and that's exactly _why_ I didn't tell you."

"You never mentioned a child, Fiona," he told her as he grew more and more frustrated. His eyes flared angrily as he glared at her, his voice rising. "I HAD A RIGHT TO KNOW."

Fiona shook her head and looked up to the ceiling as she tried to find the right words to say. Blinking back the moisture in her eyes she drew in a shaky breath before she turned to look at him again.

"Just a few months ago you threw everything back in my face and told me I should support you if I cared about you, so how was I supposed to tell you the real reason why I wanted you to give it up...You only ever think of what _you_ want."

"Do you really think I wouldn't have wanted to know? I can't believe you saw me every day and never once mentioned her…" taking a step closer he waved his hand in the general direction of the door. "How do you think it makes me feel finding out like this that she's mine?"

Fiona tried to control her voice but she couldn't keep the trembling at bay. They hadn't had an argument like this is a very long time. A sob caught in her throat when she tried again to get through to him.

"I never thought I'd see her again and I always knew you never wanted children. You said your enemies would use them as leverage against you. What was I supposed to do? You wanted your job back… I was trying to protect both of you…"

She turned away from him and pulled her robe tighter. She felt too raw and exposed and completely terrified all over again. Her mother had forced her to give up her child and even though she'd known that her brother could keep Caitlin safe, it still hurt more than any wound she had ever suffered. She could never expect him to understand that pain, not when he couldn't see beyond his own hurt feelings.

Michael's voice brought her back to him again and she forced herself to try and understand his side, but all she could see was the ache of his rejection all over again.

"I can look out for myself," he ground out as he glared at her, his anger preventing him from seeing anything but her deception. In all the years he had known this woman he couldn't ever remember a time when he had been so mad with her, but she had betrayed him in an unforgivable way. "I don't need protecting especially from—"

"But Caitlin does…"

Her voice cut through his causing his retort to catch in his throat when he saw the pain in her eyes. There was something hauntingly familiar about the way she was pleading with him to understand that brought back painful memories of his own childhood and he suddenly realised he was portraying shades of his father.

Biting back the anger he took a breath and forced himself to calm down, for his sake as well as hers. Whatever her reason's for keeping his daughter a secret from him, he had to try and curb his temper. Swallowing the burning words in his throat he closed his eyes briefly before he opened them again to focus on her trembling form.

"Just because I didn't plan on having children doesn't mean I never wanted them. You never gave me that choice. You took her away before I had a chance to find out for myself!"

"I couldn't tell you," she told him brokenly. "How could I tell you you had a daughter when you didn't even want _me_?"

"What do you mean I didn't want you?" he asked her heatedly. "I _always _wanted you."

"When?" turning on him she fixed him with a fiery glare that would have been enough to bring any mortal man to his knees. "You spent so many years pushing me aside and telling me constantly that we couldn't be together!"

"Fiona," Michael's voice seemed to echo throughout the room and she found her eyes closing against the wall of intense emotion that filled her eyes. "You shouldn't have kept her from me."

"What would you have done if you'd known?" she asked hopelessly as she turned towards him. "You never had room for me in your life so how could you make room for a child?"

"_WHAT?"_ he asked, his voice rising as he moved towards her. "Is this some kind of punishment? Is this you getting even for something that happened years ago?"

"Is that what you really think of me?" she asked him bitterly as a tear leaked from her eyes. "You think I could do that to her, to you?"

Turning her back to him she could feel herself slipping away into the memories of the past. All those times she had wished for him to come back to her, to both of them. If he had been with her she wouldn't have had to leave Caitlin behind and they could have been together…but in the end it was all some fantasy, someone else's dream, not hers.

"YOU left me to deal with them all on my own…" she told him, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I couldn't fight them…I couldn't keep her…"

"You think I wanted to leave?" he asked incredulously. "My cover was blown, I—"

"Your damn cover again?" she hissed. "I didn't know I was pregnant until after you left and by then it was clear to everyone that you weren't coming back."

"Okay," he nodded defensively. "So what about when we met up again? You had plenty of opportunities to tell me."

"And how would you have reacted, huh?" she asked him bitterly. "I saw the way your face dropped when Samantha came back and mentioned her son. You were terrified that he was yours…"

"That was different, I didn't have any feelings for her…You had no right—"

"You gave up your right when you left," she growled as she turned away. "You have NO idea what I went through."

"Then tell me," he told her as he caught hold of her arm and turned her around to face him. "What did you go through that could be worse than me finding out I have a daughter who's…what…five?"

"You _bastard_," she hissed angrily as she yanked her arm from his grasp. "I had to go through it all alone with my mother quoting the bible in my ear. Have you any idea what it's like to be told you're a slut who will burn in hell for her sins, by your _own_ mother?"

Michael's eyes softened when he caught the haunted look on her face. Stepping towards her he touched her arm with gentler fingers and turned her to face him.

"I'm sorry you had to go through it alone, but you should never have kept her from me."

"You think I kept her from you?" she asked brokenly as she pulled away from him again. "I carried her for nine months…I loved her and I fought for her because she was yours. I had to keep her safe from the enemies _we_ made and you ask why I kept her from you?"

"I had a right to know."

"Which brings us back to the same question," she groused as she turned back around to face him. "What would you have done if you'd known about her?"

"I—"

"What would you do Michael?" she asked, anger flaring in her eyes. "Push her away just like you did me? Leave her in the middle of the night? Leave _me_ to tell her your job is more important? What Michael? You tell me what I was supposed to tell you!"

Michael stepped forward suddenly and grabbed hold of both of her arms to keep her still. "I don't know what I would have done Fi," he told her as he tried to keep his voice calm. "I'd like to think I would have been there to support you…both of you."

"Yeah?" she asked shakily. "I could really have done with that support, Michael. I was all alone with a child on the way and a mother who told me over and over that she wasn't going to let me keep my baby..." memories invaded her mind and she closed her eyes to try and shut them out but they bombarded her senses. "I had to fight for her even before she was born…and I wanted her so badly because she was yours…so you can think whatever you want about me because I tried to be the best I could even though I know whatever I did wasn't good enough."

"_Ya let me down girl," her mother hissed out angrily as she descended on her. "Ya let yer da' down too. I didn' bring ya inta tha world ta commit sin wit' a man who left ya wit' his bastard child."_

"_Me babby ain't a bastard," she cried, sliding a hand protectively over her flat stomach. "Michael will be back an' yer'll see tha' he loves me."_

"_Yer wrong girl, ya gave him yer body an' he left like tha bastard he is."_

"_Yer wrong mammy, he—"_

"_Listen ta yerself Fiona. He ain't comin' back. He'll be leavin' wit' a new girl an' do tha same thin' ta har."_

_Fiona shook her head and turned her back on her mother as she pulled the kitchen door open with a furious grown. Michael wasn't like that, he wasn't._

"_Don't ya think yer keepin' it yerself. Fadar O'Mally is comin' fer supper to pray fer ya," Colleen told her angrily. "Yer can give it ta tha right people when tha time comes."_

"_WHA'?" Fiona turned on her mother and glared at her with so much hatred that she saw the older woman take a step back. "Yer not be takin' ma babby…never…I'll kill ya befer I let tha' happen. Yer hear me mammy, yer never gonna take it."_

"_Yer brought shame to tha Glenanne's, yer sister'd never had done tha' to us."_

"_Ya, well maybe it shoulda be me tha got killed, ya woulda been happy then wouldn' ya?" Fiona stormed out of the house and slammed the door behind her knowing that the battle with her mother for the child she carried inside her was only the beginning._

Fiona couldn't help the slight tremble in her body when she could see him trying to figure out what had happened. He was looking at her as if she had grown an extra head and was unsure what he could do about it. She hadn't expected him to be overjoyed, but she hadn't expected him to be like this either. She could already feel the irritation creeping back into her emotions, and her mouth seemed to have a mind all of its own.

"I didn't plan on getting pregnant," she snapped, already on the defensive before she could even open his mouth. "If you think I was trying to make you stay then you'd be wrong."

"Fiona... I don't know what I'm supposed to say…"

"Then don't say anything, Michael," she told him impatiently, her eyes daring him to challenge her. "Do what you always do and walk away."

"Fiona…" his voice was shaking when he took a step towards her, but he halted in his tracks when he saw her anger suddenly transform into sadness. He loved this woman before him more than he had ever loved anyone in his life, but right now he didn't know if he could ever forgive her for this. He was in the middle of silently cursing his inability to tell her how he felt, when she spoke again, throwing him off balance.

"Michael," his name came out on a resonated sigh as she tried to stop her voice from shaking. She chanced a look into his eyes hoping to see some kind of acceptance in them, but his expression was unreadable and that only served to scare her more. Taking a breath she tried to smile but her lips refused to cooperate, so she shook her head before whispering the words that she had always been dreading to say. "If you decide that you don't want to be a part of her life then I won't force you into something you don't want."

Turning away from him she focussed on one of her snow globes that bounced light onto the wall. Inside she was silently pleading for him to want their daughter and wrap his arms around her in reassurance, but he hadn't moved. Maybe he really didn't want to be with her; after all if it came down to a choice between her and his job, she had always known that he would never choose her. Swallowing hard she forced her voice to remain level, even though her whole body was trembling.

"No one has to know she's yours…she doesn't know about you and she doesn't have to if that's what you want, but please don't punish her for what I did—"

"Fiona, I…"

"I don't blame you for hating me Michael," she whispered. "I hate myself too."

Michael could hear his heart thumping inside his chest and he knew he had to say something to make her see that he just needed time to recover from the shock. "I never said I hated you."

"You don't have to," she told him through tear glazed eyes. "I can see it on your face…but it doesn't really matter now. Caitlin needs to know at least one of us wants her and I have to hope that she doesn't one day hate me for not fighting hard enough for her."

Fiona could already feel her defences slipping. Her head was starting to ache again and she couldn't deal with his rejection right now, not after everything that had happened. The unrest she was feeling right up until this moment slowly ebbed away to leave a brief flash of anger that gave her a strength that she'd almost forgotten she'd had. This was their child, a beautiful miracle that they had created together and she was totally unaccustomed to the powerful surge of love and protection she felt when she thought of the dark haired little girl that accepted her so easily.

"Fiona," his voice softened when he saw her looking so defeated. Taking a step closer towards her he stopped in his tracks when she spoke again, taking his breath from his lungs.

"Look, if you think I'm asking you for anything, then don't. I've been supporting her on my own for five years and I'll carry on supporting her. I just need you to know something before you decide anything okay."

"Fi—"

"I'm not trying to push you into a commitment… I know we never would have had a house or the white picket fence… I know you were never interested in stuff like that."

Michael watched her silently, her words seeming to echo in his mind. He had lived all this time loving the woman before him but now there was a whole little human being who would depend on him and he didn't know whether he was elated or terrified by the prospect…He'd always thought he would never have the chance to become a father, but here she was, this beautiful woman offering him a life he never thought he'd have. Taking a breath, he stepped closer, his fingers desperate to touch her.

"What if one day I want all of those things, Fi?"

"Maybe you will," she told him as the tears returned to her eyes, "But I've never really been sure if you wanted them with me."

Her words cut right through him and he could already feel the anger inside him slowly subside. How could she think that there could ever be another woman who could ever match up to her?

"I won't leave her again, Michael," she told him softly before he had time to speak. "Not for anyone."

"I never thought you would," he all but whispered. "I just need time to…adjust…"

"I understand," she told him through tear filled eyes. "I do…just don't turn your back on her because of me, okay…"

"You really think I would turn my back on either of you?" he asked her incredulously. "You think—"

"All I know Michael is five years ago you left me and I wasn't strong enough to fight my mother on my own. I let her take my daughter away from me and I will never forgive her or myself for as long as I live…" shaking her head she lifted the palms of her hands to her face to wipe away the moisture building in her eyes. When she chanced a look at him again she turned away from him and made her way towards her bedroom door. "I need to get dressed…I don't even know what I'm supposed to do now…they took her away and now suddenly they thrust her back to me expecting her to want to live with me." She stopped and turned to him helplessly, "I mean look at me…would you want to live with someone like me?"

Michael watched her retreating form and tried to process everything inside his mind. He was a father…a _father_. The thought both terrified him and exhilarated him at the same time and even though they still needed to talk about the past and how Caitlin came to be in her brother's care, he knew the second he'd laid eyes on that little girl, he was lost.

Moving swiftly towards Fiona he caught her arm before she could leave and pulled her around to face him.

"We have to talk about her," he told her firmly. "I want to know everything you're not telling me…but, I'm not turning my back on her, or you, okay?"

Fiona tried to smile but all she seemed to be able to do was nod while he hovered beside the front door.

"If you're not going to stay then I'll tell her about you myself." she told him in a dejected whisper when she saw the tell tale signs of a man wanting to flee. "Call if you want to see her, okay…"

When she turned away from him he finally found his voice and surged towards her to catch her arm. "I'm going to head back to the loft to change, but I'll be back."

A single tear slipped down her cheek unchecked as she nodded numbly when he grabbed his shoes beside the couch and slipped out of the door.

000

Two hours later Fiona was hovering beside the window and looking out whenever a car drove past. The longer the time elapsed the more anxious she became and no matter how many times she tried to force the worry out of her mind she couldn't help the fear that her daughter had been returned to her only to be ripped away again.

Michael still hadn't returned either and even though she was expecting him to avoid her for a while, she had hoped that he would have wanted to be back for when Caitlin came home. Maybe it was all too much, maybe he wasn't ready to be thrust into the realms of fatherhood. He'd no doubt be at the loft trying to think of a way to get out of this whole mess…

The door suddenly barged open causing all of her thoughts of Michael to scatter when Caitlin trundled into the room with an armful of flowers that she tried to keep from falling. Looking around the room she caught sight of her mother and ran towards her to thrust the blooms in her direction.

"Look mammy," she squealed excitedly. "These are fer ya ta keep."

Fiona came down to her knees and took the flowers from her daughter's arms and reached forward to pull her into a tight hug.

"Thank you," she smiled brightly even though her eyes sparked with emotion. "They're beautiful. Did you pick them out yourself?"

"Yep…Smell em," Caitlin giggled as she leant onto her mother to smell the flowers before pressing one to Fiona's nose. "I like tha pink best."

"Me too," Fiona beamed a smile at her daughter and instantly felt herself relax with her. She had been afraid that she wouldn't feel the maternal bond that she'd once had with the child she clutched tightly against her, but when Caitlin leaned against her with the same warmth that she'd had when she was a tiny baby, the love came flooding back in a wave. Standing to her feet she held out her hand to the little girl beside her and led her towards the tiny kitchen.

Sean looked around the room and narrowed his eyes before he turned to Seamus. "Bring tha babby's things outta tha car. I'll be wit ya in a minute."

"He ain't here is he?" Seamus seethed angrily. "Tha bastard's gone an left har again."

"Calm down Seamus," Sean snapped, shooting his brother an angry glare. "Just go ta tha car."

The younger Glenanne turned and stomped out of the house muttering obscenities about the man he wanted to rip apart with his bare hands. Sean looked after him and shook his head when his brother sauntered away. He knew what he was feeling because he'd felt the same way many years ago. He'd wanted to find McBride himself and beat him to a bloody pulp before the rest of the Glenanne clan had their go with him, but that was before he'd seen them together a month or so ago.

"So," his voice brought Fiona's eyes away from her daughter to look up at him. "How'd he take it?"

"He's gone home to change," she told him quietly before she turned her attention back to the little girl by her side.

"Tha's not what I asked ya Fi," he sighed. "Did ya tell him?"

"Yes I told him," she hissed out, trying to keep her voice low. "Can we not talk about this now?"

"Is he comin' back?"

Fiona closed her eyes in frustration and swallowed the lump in her throat before she looked up at her brother with tear filled eyes. Not trusting herself to speak she shrugged her shoulders and dropped her gaze back to her daughter. She honestly didn't know what Michael was going to do; she didn't even know what she was going to do. Lifting her gaze back up to her brother she tried to offer him a smile but it fell from her lips the second she saw the fury in his eyes.

"Seamus is gettin' Caitlin's things…I'll be goin' out fer a while."

"Sean," she called, his name coming out louder than she'd intended. When he turned back to look at her his face was unreadable and she shook her head as tried so hard to control her voice. "Don't, okay. Whatever it is your planning to do just, don't."

"I'm not plannin' anythin' sis…I'll just be payin' Michael a visit tha's all."

"Sean—"

"I'll be back fer supper."

Fiona's heart thundered inside her chest as she turned her eyes back down to her daughter who was arranging the flowers she'd brought into a vase. Fiona lifted her hand and ran her fingers over Caitlin's long hair before she turned to grab her phone from a shelf in the kitchen. Dialling Michael's number she held the phone to her ear and cursed silently when it went straight to voice mail. Shutting it off she looked down at the blank screen before writing a brief warning that her brother was on his way before she hit the send button.

"Mammy," Caitlin's voice brought her out of her thoughts and she looked down at her with a bright smile. "I made em all stand up."

Fiona's eyes slipped to the brightly coloured flowers all arranged in the vase with half of the petals squashed but she didn't think she had ever been given a more precious gift before.

"You did a good job," she smiled brightly as she helped Caitlin down off of the stool and started to pick up the mess but stopped when Seamus barged back into the house.

"Where'd ya want har stuff Fi?" he asked breathlessly as he carried a hefty suitcase with both hands. "What did yer auntie Marie pack in this thing, squirt?"

Caitlin looked up at her uncle and giggled brightly as she swung back and forth between the couch and the chair.

"Caitlin," Fiona called as the little girl turned towards her. "Shall we find somewhere to put your things?"

"Okay," she beamed and clutched onto Fiona hand to bounce all the way along the small hall until Fiona led her and her uncle into a small room that was next to hers. Pushing open the door she looked around the bleak room that housed a small single bed before she looked down at her daughter apologetically.

"I know it's blue," Fiona told her when Caitlin let go of her hand to go and sit on the bed. "But we can pick up some paint and make it whatever colour you want, okay?"

"Pink?" Caitlin asked excitedly as she flung herself back onto the bed and bounced herself up and down.

Fiona watched the little girl exude so much energy and for a moment she was suddenly struck with the inevitable surge of fear. How was she going to cope with a very lively five year old when she'd become so used to living alone. Glancing down at her daughter she smiled despite the lingering fear when Caitlin beamed a big toothy smile in her direction.

"If you want pink, we'll make it pink," Fiona grinned when Caitlin sat back up to launch herself towards her. Picking her up, Fiona held her tight and kissed her cheek before planting her feet back onto the floor again. "We'll go shopping tomorrow and buy you some nice sheets for your bed too, okay."

"Okay," Caitlin nodded and sank down beside the case on the floor to wait patiently as her mother slowly unzipped it before she piled in to retrieve some of her toys that were mixed in between the clothes.

"We'll need some new clothes, too," Fiona told her when she saw the assortment of sweaters, jeans and thick winter clothing that were all folded neatly inside the case.

Fiona watched her silently and suddenly felt completely overwhelmed. Her life was about to change in ways she had never imagined and she didn't know whether she was elated or terrified. With O'Neill's arrest she couldn't be sure if he had given her location to her old associates. She would have to look for somewhere else to live, somewhere that would be suitable for a child.

"Mammy," Caitlin's voice brought her out of her thoughts and she gazed down at her with suddenly sad eyes when her daughter handed her a toy wrist watch that had dials and buttons on it. "I hide ma secret's inside," she told her as she leant against Fiona's knee to open it and show her the empty space inside. "look."

"You hide secrets in there huh?" Fiona asked her incredulously. "You sound just like your da—" Tears sprang to her eyes and she suddenly knew that she wanted Michael to be here to see for himself just how much his daughter resembled him.

Turning her head away from her the child beside her she wiped a tear away from her cheek before plastering a smile to her face. Sitting up onto her knees she helped Caitlin take the clothes out of the case and hung them up in the small closet until everything was put away.

"Come with me sweetie, mommy want's to show you something," she said softly as she waited for Caitlin to take a hold of her hand before leading her back out into the living area to sit her down on the couch. Once Caitlin was settled she moved towards one of the cabinet draws and pushed some papers out of the way before she pulled a small photo album out to hold it against her chest.

Seamus looked up from the newspaper he was reading to regard her curiously before he looked back down at it again, pretending to be interested in the news and not what was going on with his sister.

Fiona came over to the couch and sat down next to Caitlin who looked up at her with wide eyes, curious as to what she wanted to show her. Placing the small album onto her lap she lifted one arm up so that the little girl could snuggle into her side to look at the first photograph on the page.

"That's you Caitlin," she whispered as she pointed to the photograph of the tiny baby lying in a crib. "Your uncle Sean took that photo."

"Tha's me?" Caitlin asked with wide eyes.

"Yes it is," Fiona smiled when she gazed down at the worn photographs that held so many memories. "You were just over a week old and that red suit you were wearing there," she told her as she pointed to the little red and white romper suit. "That was the first thing I brought for you."

Flipping over the next page she pointed to another photo that Patrick had sent her a few months after he'd managed to track her down. "That was you trying your first spoonful of food."

"I look funny," Caitlin giggled.

"I don't think you liked it," Fiona told her with a smile as she nuzzled her lips into Caitlin's hair. Turning the page over she pointed to another photo, chuckling along with her daughter when she giggled at each new image of herself as a baby, until they came to the very last page in the book.

Fiona let her fingers linger over the smiling faces of her and Michael before she held her daughter tighter to her and kissed her head.

"Tha's yer friend mammy," Caitlin told her with a big smile as she grinned up at her.

"He is," Fiona swallowed hard before she laid her lips against her little girl's hair as she whispered words that she had wanted to tell Michael for so long. "But he's really special to mommy and to you. Do you know why?"

Caitlin shook her head and looked back down to the photograph of her mother and Michael with their arms wrapped around each other.

"This, Caitlin, is your daddy."

000

Michael was sitting in the charger parked a short way from Fiona's house, staring off into space when he heard a tap on the window. Reacting quickly he pulled his gun and pointed it towards his unwelcome intruder only to relax when he recognised the man looking at him through the window.

Sean pulled the door open without an invitation and climbed into the passenger seat to looks across at the man he had always thought of as a brother.

"She's somethin' ain't she Michael?" Sean asked him with an awkward smile. "Just like har mammy in every way."

"Sean," he sighed. "I…"

"Look, I know it's a lot ta take in," Sean told him. "But ya know Fi didn' really have a lotta options back home."

"All these years, Sean," shaking his head Michael put the gun he was holding back into his pants before he regarded the man beside him. "I had a daughter…all these years…"

"Ya look like a man in need of a drink," Sean chuckled. "Ya life'll never be tha same."

"Sean," Michael sighed as he shook his head. "I need to know what happened after I left Ireland…I need—"

"I need a drink," Sean interrupted him and patted his shoulder. "Yer gonna need one too when ya hear what I have ta tell ya."

"Fi's got a bottle of single malt whiskey back at the loft," Michael nodded knowingly. "That good enough?"

"That'll do," he nodded only to grin at the man beside him who was staring at the street where he knew Fiona and Caitlin were only a short distance away. "Well whata ya waitin' fer man."

Michael closed his eyes briefly against the mixed emotions that were swirling around inside his head before he started the car.

"One thing befer we go," Sean's voice broke through his thoughts and he turned to look at him. "Do ya love my sister?"

Michael's breath caught in his throat before he could find his voice. Nodding his head he turned away to look out of the window before he uttered a small, "Yes."

"Good," Sean told him with a wide smile as he sat back in his seat. "I may not kill ya after all!"

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, PM'd and for the favourite author and story adds. As always I am humbled by your kind words and I'm thankful to each and every one of you. If I haven't managed to reply personally yet then please bear with me, RL has been a little rough this week.**

**As always thank you to Purdy's pal and DaisyDay for reading through parts of this for me. Both of you, Jedi Skysinger and Haunted-Eternity have been a huge support this week, and the extra mushy parts in this chapter are especially for you.**

3

Fiona watched her daughter's interaction with her younger brother and found herself feeling strangely nostalgic. Seamus had only been eighteen when Caitlin was born and even back then she had been closer to him than any of her elder brothers. Maybe it was because after Claire died he suddenly became the youngest sibling and she found a sudden need to protect him, but whatever the reason, he had become her best friend as well as her greatest ally when she discovered she was pregnant with Caitlin.

Her eyes drifted over to Seamus who had grown from her scrawny baby brother into a strapping six foot man. How many times had he helped her to cover up her pregnancy, concocting lies to everyone around them until the time came when she couldn't hide it any longer?

In those earlier days she had been in a deeply emotional state and for the first few weeks of her pregnancy she'd been trying to come to terms with the changes within her body. She had spent so many nights staring at herself in the mirror to see if she could see any signs of the baby growing inside her. Her figure was petite even back then, so she was able to hide it for the first five months without anyone noticing until she started putting on weight.

Michael was gone and she had no idea why he'd left or if he was ever coming back. She was alone with his child inside her and was more terrified of facing her strict Catholic mother than she was of having a baby. Sighing heavily, Fiona allowed her mind to drift back to that night. Every emotion that she'd felt then seemed to be more vibrant now as she remembered every moment with perfect clarity.

_It was the eight week of her pregnancy when Seamus had first discovered what she'd been hiding. It had been a cold, wet night and she had spent most of the day taking various guns apart to clean them to take her mind off of the nausea that had sprung up from nowhere. She'd just come back from the bathroom to find her younger brother waiting for her with a hopeful smile on his face and with the same question on his lips that he'd been asking for the last few weeks. _

"_What ya waitin' fer sis? Get out an' find another feller…he ain't worth ya mopin."_

"_Seamus, I can't do tha' and ya know it. He'll be back fer me," she looked at her brother with a slight smile, hoping that he believed her even if she had her own doubts. "Yer'll see."_

"_Whatever ya say sis…" Seamus sighed. They had been having the same conversation for the last few weeks and she had still remained adamant that McBride would be back for her. "I'm goin' ta tha pub, ya wanta tag along?"_

"_No, I can't," Fiona shook her head and unconsciously laid her hand over her still flat stomach. Michael may have left but she still had him with her and she wasn't going to do anything to jeopardise losing his child. When she looked up at her brother she could see his eyes grow wide and she suddenly realised what she was doing. She averted her eyes and dropped her hand before she turned away from him to begin stripping down another one of her guns._

"_Fiona," his voice drifted over to her and but she kept her back to him. "What are ya goin' ta do?"_

"_I don't know what yer talkin' about Seamus…haven't ya got somewhere ta be?"_

"_Ya pregnant aren't ya?"_

_She gasped in a breath and slammed her eyes closed as she kept her back to him. She didn't answer him even though her silence was more telling than any words she could say. Instead she nodded her head and felt the first tear slip down her cheek when she felt the warmth of his hand on her shoulder._

"Mammy," Caitlin's voice broke her out of her thoughts and she turned to look at her. Fiona's heart fluttered inside her chest when Caitlin gazed at her with her father's eyes and she found herself trying to control her breathing.

"Hmmm?" she asked with a smile as she picked up the small plate with some fruit pieces and took it over to the table.

"Am I stayin' wit' ya ferever now?"

Fiona's breath caught in her throat as she lifted her eyes to glance at her daughter. Placing the plate onto the table she swallowed the lump in her throat before she turned towards the little girl. Everything had happened so fast that neither of them had had a chance to adjust to this new arrangement and she silently prayed to whoever was listening not to take her baby away from her again.

"Yes, you're going to live here with me," she told her softly. "Is that okay?"

Caitlin thought for a moment before she nodded her head vigorously and left her uncle's side to grasp hold of Fiona's hands to swing from side to side. With a beaming smile she suddenly jumped forward to fling her arms around her mother's lower body and held on tight before looking up at her.

"Uncle Pat said ya loved me mammy," she told her as she held onto Fiona with an iron clad grip.

"He was right," Fiona smiled as she reached down to brush a stray strand of hair from the little girl's eyes. "I've never stopped loving you."

Caitlin nodded and turned her head to lay her ear against her mother's legs. "Won't uncle Pat miss me?"

For a moment Fiona felt a burst of resentment flash through her mind but she pushed it away before she could dwell on it. She would be forever thankful to her brother for raising Caitlin but there was always that nagging thought in the back of her mind that he had conspired with their mother to take her baby from her. Taking a breath she let it out slowly before she moved slightly to gain Caitlin's attention. When the little girl looked up at her with wide sad eyes she felt her heart break a little when she realised that none of them had even thought how Caitlin would react to being thrust into a home with a virtual stranger.

"Of course he will," Fiona told her softly as she took hold of her hands and knelt down in front of her so she was on the floor. "But I've missed you too, ever since you were a tiny baby."

"Was ya sad mammy?" Caitlin asked when she knelt on Fiona's knees to keep hold of her hands.

"Yes I was," Fiona told her softly as she leant forward to lay her forehead against her daughter who was looking up at her wide curious eyes. "I cried every night."

"Aunt Marie cried when I had ta go, too." Releasing her mother's hands, Caitlin manoeuvred herself around to sit on Fiona's knees and laid her head against her chest.

"I know you must miss her," Fiona whispered softly as she nestled Caitlin's head beneath her chin. "She took really good care of you."

Caitlin nodded but kept silent until Fiona bent down to kiss her head. "It's okay to be sad baby," she whispered. "I get sad too sometimes."

"Do ya cry?"

"Yes I do," she told her softly as she hugged her tighter. "But maybe now you're here we won't need to be sad anymore."

"Can I stay wit' yah ferever?"

Tears sprang to Fiona's eyes and she reached down to smooth her fingers over her daughter's hair. "You can stay with me forever and ever."

"An' daddy too?" Caitlin asked her as she reached forward to kiss her mother soundly before hugging her tightly.

Her question threw Fiona for a moment. Caitlin hadn't even mentioned Michael since she had shown her his picture. Swallowing hard she found herself trying to formulate some kind of explanation that wouldn't betray how hurt she was that he hadn't shown up.

"Well, I'm not sure about your daddy; he's got a very important job so he can't be with us." Wrapping her arms around the little girl she pulled back to smile at her, hoping to distract her from her father with food. "I made you some snacks."

Caitlin looked over towards the table and bounced towards it before climbing up onto a chair to look over the various pieces of fruit Fiona had laid out for her. Picking up a strawberry she popped it into her mouth and chewed on it slowly before she stopped and smiled up at her mother.

"What would you like to do this afternoon?" Fiona asked her as she leaned her elbows on the table and took a piece of apple from the plate before biting into it.

"Ummmm…" Caitlin leant her head onto her hand and grinned up at her mother as she picked up another piece of fruit. "Can we have a cat?"

Fiona couldn't help the slow smile that lifted her lips. The little girl who looked up at her so innocently had an infectious laugh and she was finding herself relaxing into the role of her mother with every passing minute.

"A cat?" she asked. "Why do you want a cat?"

Caitlin swallowed the grape she had been chewing and picked up a piece of apple to hold it against Fiona's lips until she opened her mouth and took a bite.

"Uncle Pat had a cat, he went ta sleep on ma bed."

Fiona's eyes swam with love when the little girl looked up at her with wide, innocent eyes. More than anything she wanted to be able to give her everything that she couldn't when they were separated all those years ago. Thinking hard she sighed sadly as she looked down at her daughter with an apologetic smile.

"Oh, sweetie we're not allowed to have pets here, but maybe when we go shopping tomorrow we can buy you a toy one," Fiona offered when she saw the little girls smile fall from her face. Reaching out a hand to stroke Caitlin's hair, Fiona caught Seamus' eye when he stood up to come and stand beside her.

"I think ya mammy might be right, squirt. Maybe ya can buy one from tha shop?"

Caitlin looked down at the now empty plate before she clambered down off the chair to launch herself towards her mother.

"Can I have a white one like Freddie?" she asked excitedly. "Or a brown one like Bruno?"

Fiona's smile lit her face as she pulled her daughter into her arms and planted noisy kisses all over her face, delighted when she giggled hysterically. With one final kiss she placed her feet back onto the floor and held onto her hands.

"You can have any one you want baby," she grinned happily, caught up in the infectious smile of her little girl. Glancing down at her watch she sighed wistfully when it now seemed apparent that Michael wasn't going to show after all, and even though it hurt that he hadn't returned to meet Caitlin properly, she wasn't going to let her disappointment with his actions ruin her time with _his_ daughter. "You know what?"

Caitlin shook her head as she played with the beads around her mother's wrist.

"Let's go shopping today…and we'll buy you a bathing suit for the beach tomorrow."

"Really?" Caitlin asked with a gasp and leaned back to look up at Fiona. "A pink one?"

Fiona's smile almost split her face in two as she hugged Caitlin against her in a tight embrace. Kissing her hair she closed her eyes and relished the feel of the warmth of her body seeping into hers. She hadn't felt so loved, or so happy in a very long time.

"Any colour you want baby," she whispered into her hair as she sealed each word with a kiss, knowing that she would give up everything she had for this little girl.

000

The loft was bathed in silence when Michael opened the door to usher Sean inside. On the drive over he was trying to go through every kind of scenario in his head as he fought to make sense of what had happened a few hours ago. He was still reeling from the news that Fiona had thrust upon him and even though he loved her more than he had ever loved anyone in his life, he still couldn't understand why she had kept his daughter a secret for all these years.

Sean looked around the loft and shook his head at its bleak surroundings before he headed towards the centre of the loft and sat himself down into a green chair. Part of him wanted to lay into the man who was still finding it hard to cope with the news that he was a father, but he couldn't really blame him for that. What he blamed Michael for were his actions almost five years ago when he'd left his sister alone and pregnant in Ireland.

The last time he was here he'd been under the impression that Michael knew about Caitlin. He figured that neither Michael nor his sister talked about her because it was too painful, and that was okay at the time because she was safe with Patrick and Marie. As soon as he arrived back in Ireland however everything had changed and he'd spent most of the last few weeks making plans to get the child to her parents.

"Ya know," he started, his voice breaking through the silence. "I always thought ya were a good man despite leavin' ma sister."

Michael turned to look at him before he walked across to one of the cupboards in the kitchen to pull out the half full bottle of whiskey that Fiona had left here before she had announced that she was leaving him.

Looking down at the bottle thoughtfully, Michael took a deep breath before he grabbed two glasses to pour Sean and himself a hefty amount of the amber liquid.

"Sean," he started as he tucked the bottle under his arm and picked a glass up in each hand before passing one to the other man. "If I'd know she was pregnant…"

"You'd a stayed?" Sean asked with a cynical laugh as he brought the glass to his lips and downed it in one gulp.

"I would have tried to take her with me," Michael sighed, knowing he wasn't entirely sure what he really would have done as he lifted the glass to his lips to swallow a mouthful of the liquid.

"Ya drink like a girl," Sean chuckled when he held out his glass for another refill. "Ya'll havta learn how ta drink faster man if yer gonna keep up wit' tha rest a us."

Michael watched him in astonishment and suddenly realised that he had no idea what he was going to do. He had a child and even though the mere thought of it was terrifying he couldn't escape the fact that his daughter was real and here in Miami.

"Ya know ya look lika yer seen a ghost," Sean picked the bottle up and placed it onto the floor between their two chairs "Findin' out yer a da' kinda calls fer a drink, don't ya think?"

"Yeah," Michael sighed as he looked down into his glass. "I guess it does."

"Ya know she didn't wanta give tha babby up," Sean told him reassuringly when he saw Michael's eyes glaze over. "She hid har pregnancy from us fer months befer she started ta show…Fiona knew our ma would be furious wit' tha both a ya."

"If I'd have known," Michael shook his head and took another mouthful of whiskey and swallowed it down. The burning inside his throat numbed a little of the ache that loomed inside his body. This morning he had woken up to a normal day, but then it had all changed when he was thrust into fatherhood without ever asking for it.

"I love me mother, Michael, but she wa hard on Fiona fer a long time after she found out. She even tried ta make har give tha babby away."

Michael lifted his eyes to Sean who seemed to be lost in his own memories. Taking another long swig of the whiskey in in his glass, he swirled it around his mouth before he swallowed it down.

"Fi said something about your mother quoting the bible—"

"Oh tha' wa only tha start," Sean told him with a sorrowful sigh as he poured himself another glass. "Ma called fardar O'Malley ta pray fer Fiona's sins. She called har everythin' from a slut ta a whore but ma sister stood up ta har…I tell ya I wa' mighty proud a har."

Michael's eyes shot up to the man beside him and shook his head in disbelief. Standing up to Mrs Glenanne was a scary thought and to think that Fiona did just that while pregnant filled him with a sense of pride. "That's Fi," he smiled wistfully but the smile was short lived when he saw the pain in Sean's eyes. "What happened?"

"She were tryin' ta keep tha babby safe. Ma woulda sent har away if Pat, Seamus an' me hadn't stopped har. She woulda let har rot if it hadn't been fer us an' pat's missus. She's a hard woman Michael, scared tha shite outta me I tell ya." Sean chuckled before the smile slowly died from his lips and he drifted off into his memories again. "When fiona went inta labour I thought she wa dyin' an' me ma wouldn' come an help har…she said she deserved tha pain because of har sin an' she wouldn' help a bastard child inta tha world."

Michael's breath caught in his throat when visions of what Fiona must have gone through soared through his mind. Sudden guilt found its way into his eyes to leave a watery well before he blinked it away.

"But the birth went okay right?" he asked worriedly. "Fi was okay?"

"We almost lost har and tha babby while me ma refused ta call fer help…Marie called har sister who was a nurse an' she helped har."

Michael closed his eyes as he fought to keep the images of Fiona's mother from his mind. He had met her twice and he'd found her intimidating on both occasions. "Sean, I need to know what happened after I left. You said—"

"I know what I said Michael," Sean snapped as he looked down at his almost empty glass. "Ya broke har heart an ya left har to cope wit' tha carnage ya left behind."

"Carnage?"

"O'Neill came after har when ya left but she kept harself hidden. She didn't want him ta know about tha babby…but tha' bastard came lookin' an' pokin' around. Lucky fer us ma told everyone Fiona had left home an in tha end O'Neill crawled back inside his hole."

"But he came after her again right?" Michael asked as he leant forward to place his elbows onto his knees. "Fi said he resurfaced and came to look for her."

"Yeah he did. After Caitlin wa' born Fiona tried ta find a way ta get both a them out a Ireland but she wa' too weak. She had a hard time with tha birth an she lost a lot a blood…I wa there, Michael…she screamed ya name an begged fer ya to come through tha door ta save har, but ya never came did ya?"

The glass dropped from Michael's fingers to land onto the wooden floor with a dull thud as he covered his face with his hands. Visions of the woman he loved going through so much on her own while she was trying to protect their child brought a lump to his throat and regret to his heart…lifting his head again he sniffed back the emotion in his eyes and sat back up.

"So, why did Patrick raise my daughter?" he asked quietly as he tried to keep his voice from breaking. "I know Fiona; she wouldn't willingly give her away."

"She didn't," Sean told him sadly. "She wanted ta take tha babby with har but she wa' in no fit state ta do anythin'. She haemorrhaged after tha birth an' that's when ma decided she wa' worth savin'. She called one a ma da' cousins who wa a doc in Dublin. Fiona couldn't go ta hospital because a O'Neill so he had ta take care a har at home. We thought she wa gonna die."

Michael looked up to the ceiling as he tried to control his raging emotions. Shaking his head he swallowed hard and returned his gaze to the man who was watching him with haunted eyes. "And the baby?"

"Caitlin," Sean corrected him as he shot him a furious glare. "Yer child is called Caitlin."

Michael sat up a little straighter and nodded his head when the little girls face appeared in his mind to occupy every one of his thoughts. He'd reacted badly, he knew that, and he only hoped that Fiona would be able to forgive him for being such an idiot.

"We took care a har too, but ma stepped in an' did most a tha work. Fiona was up outta bed less than a week later tryin' ta find a way ta keep Caitlin safe from O'Neill." Sean picked up the whiskey bottle and refilled his glass then offered to do the same for Michael but he shook his head. Sean shrugged and placed the bottle back onto the floor before twirling the glass in his hand. "Our eldest brother Rory knew a man who dealt in guns an' passports an' he arranged a meetin' fer har."

"But if she was still sick—"

"She wanted ta get tha babby outta Ireland and start a new life an tha' was tha only way ta do it. So she met wit' tha slimey git and agreed ta do a job in exchange fer har ticket's out."

"So why didn't she take Caitlin with her?" Michael asked in confusion as he tried to make sense of what Sean was telling him. "I—"

"Tha' bastard woulda liked more outta har than just a job but she did wha' she had ta an' came home ta find me ma had already spoken ta Pat about tha babby." Lifting the glass to his lips Sean tipped his head back and swallowed the amber liquid down before he fixed his eyes on the man before him, regret rolling off of him in waves. "An' we all sat there an' let it happen."

"What do you mean you let it happen?" Michael tried to quell the spark of anger on Fiona's behalf that was already five years too late. "You watched her go through all that and did _nothing _when your mother decided to take _our_ baby?"

"Oh, so finally ya acknowledge she's yer babby?" Sean asked snidely. "Fiona coulda done wit' yer support back then ya know."

"Don't you think I know that?" Michael snapped angrily as he rubbed his hand over his face. "All these years she's lived with this and never said a word, and I just accused her of lying to me for her own reasons…so _don't_ tell me what things I already know, Sean."

Sean was silent for a few moments and nodded slowly. He knew they had all had a part to play taking Caitlin from his sister. They could have stopped it, could have helped her but back then Colleen Glenanne was a force to be reckoned with.

"She fought har ya know," he sighed sadly as he met Michael's eyes. "She wanted ta take Caitlin wit' har but ma went on an' on about how she couldn't run an' protect har at tha same time. Truth is I think me ma wanted har gone because in har eyes Fiona brought shame ta tha family which is a load a bull if ya ask me."

"But times have changed; women are having children out of marriage all the time…why couldn't your mother see that?" Michael stood up and laced his fingers through his hair in frustration before dropping his arms to his sides. "So your mother forced Fiona to leave our daughter behind because she was afraid of what people might say?"

"Petty much," Sean nodded. "Fiona didn't really have a lotta choices. She couldn' stay in hidin ferever an' she couldn' keep tha babby safe if she didn' run. She never forgave har ya know, even now Fiona barely speaks ta har."

"So Patrick agreed to take Caitlin so Fiona could leave without even asking her?" Michael shook his head and closed his eyes against the guilt that was welling up inside him. He'd said some stupid things to her before he even knew the truth of what she'd gone through. Grabbing his keys off of the breakfast bar he moved towards the door but stopped when Sean called his name.

"Where ya goin'?"

"To see Fi," he told him with determination in his voice.

"Well can I come wit' ya?" Sean asked as he got to his feet. "No offense Michael, but yer flat is a dump."

Michael's eyes lingered over the solitary bed in the middle of the floor and nodded his head silently before opening the door to step outside into the warm afternoon sunshine.

000

Fiona kept hold of Caitlin's hand as they walked around the toy section in the huge department store. Caitlin held onto a small bag that contained her new pink bathing suit while Fiona carried several bags containing new outfits from various boutiques in her free hand.

"Are you okay Caitlin," she asked as she looked down at the little girl beside her. "You've stopped talking!"

"Mammy…" Caitlin giggled and tugged on her mother's hand as she started to hop beside her, jarring her arm up and down until she spotted something on one of the shelves.

Fiona followed her eyes to see an arrangement of various stuffed animals and then to a lioness that sat on the shelf on its own. "Shall we go and have a look?" she asked with a smile when Caitlin bounced up and down beside her.

"Can we buy it mammy?" she asked excitedly as they approached it, her eyes growing wider until they stopped in front of the shelf.

Reaching out to pick it up Fiona looked at her daughter's face when she handed it to her and felt something break inside her when she was met with a big wide grin. The little girl wrapped her arms around it and tried hard to hold onto it as well as stop the bag from falling out of her grip.

"Do you want me to hold your bag for you?" Fiona asked as she knelt down beside her to help her rearrange the stuffed lioness so it didn't slip.

Caitlin's face was one big smile as she shook her head, "Nope," she giggled. "I can do it."

"Okay sweetie, shall we buy it and head home? You must be getting tired now," Fiona asked her with a smile when she silently hoped that her daughter _was_ tired. Caitlin had been chattering to her non stop since they'd left the house a few hours ago, and seemed to have a constant burst of energy that left Fiona fighting to keep up with her.

Caitlin grinned up at her and every other emotion seemed to magnify when she realised just how lucky she was. She still felt betrayed by her family but she knew laying the blame wouldn't bring back the last five years. She had to live for the now, not for what could have been. She placed her hand on Caitlin's shoulder and returned her smile with a bright one of her own as they walked to the front of the store.

Before they could get to the checkout, Fiona spotted some bedding and directed Caitlin towards the linen's that had bright children's TV characters on them. She had no idea what almost five years old little girl's liked on their beds but when Caitlin gasped in a breath she looked down at her expectantly.

"Mammy look," Caitlin's mouth grew wide when she looked up at the various bed sets that were girly pink with teddy bears all over them.

"Do you like that?" Fiona asked her dubiously as she tried not to let her distaste come through her voice. "It's very…pink…"

"It's got teddy bears on it," Caitlin told her, expecting her mother to understand why that was so important.

Fiona sighed and looked from the garish pink bedding to her daughter's wide blue eyes and succumbed to her smile as she plucked a sealed set from the shelf and tucked it under her arm.

"Okay, if that's what you want," she told her with a smile as she directed her towards the checkouts near the front of the store. "Maybe we'll have to make your room a lighter pink because with that on your bed we might lose you."

Caitlin looked up at her and started giggling before she leaned into her side. "Yer funny mammy."

"I'm funny?" Fiona asked with a wide grin as she impulsively tickled the little girl beside her who only laughed harder when she squirmed hysterically and begged her to stop.

When they reached the checkout, Caitlin laid her lioness onto the counter and watched curiously when the woman serving them ran it through the scanner before handing it back to her.

"Is this for you, sweetheart?" she asked with a smile when Fiona handed her the bedding.

"Yep, it's fer ma new bed," Caitlin beamed. "Mammy got it fer me."

"Well you have a really nice mommy," the woman beamed before she handed Fiona her change. "Have a nice day, now."

Caitlin nodded and managed to tuck her lioness under her arm and dangle her bag over her elbow as she reached for her mother's hand. "I'm happy I'm stayin' wit' ya forever, mammy," she beamed and looked away before she noticed Fiona's eyes welling with tears.

"Me too, baby," she told her as she swallowed the lump in her throat. "I'm really happy you're here too."

000

Seamus stood up when he heard a car pull up outside Fiona's house and reached for his gun but lowered his hand when Sean opened the door.

"Is Fiona here?" Sean asked him when he noticed how quiet the house was.

Seamus opened his mouth to tell him 'no' but stopped when Michael came into the house, looking around the room. "Is Fi here?"

"Like I wa' sayin' ta me brother befer ya came in, she took Caitlin out ta buy har some new clothes when ya didn' turn up," Seamus told him with distaste in his voice. "Jus' like old times huh, McBride?"

"Seamus that's got nothing to do with you—"

"It has everythin' ta do wit' me. Ya left har—"

"Cut ya nattering both a ya," Sean snapped and turned to face Seamus. "He wa' wit' me. I wa' fillin' him in wit' what happened back home."

"So ya finally come ta see ya babby?" Seamus asked snidely. "Took ya long enough."

"I didn't know about her, how could I see her if I didn't know?"

"Seamus jus' shut it…" Sean growled before turning his attention onto the other man. "An' Michael get ready ta meet ya babby."

"Wait," Seamus asked when his brother started to make his way up the stairs. "Where are ya goin'?"

"Fiona made up a coupla beds upstairs so I'm goin' ta lie down fer a while, all tha' travellin' is catchin' up wit' me an' when Fiona gets back, Seamus, ya should get some sleep too ya know."

Seamus turned his eyes onto his brother and realised that he was subtlety telling him to make himself scarce when his sister came back. Nodding reluctantly he turned away and moved towards the chair nearest the door to sit down and stare at the window.

Sighing heavily, Michael turned away from Seamus and moved across to the kitchen to pull open the refrigerator door. Fiona had restocked the shelves with yogurt and he couldn't help but smile when he realised that her gesture meant more to him than just providing him with his favourite food.

A car pulled up outside and he slammed the fridge door closed before he came out of the kitchen to stand beside the table. His heart was thundering inside his chest and for some unfathomable reason he didn't know what to do with his hands.

Seamus watched the door when he heard Caitlin's incessant chatter, and some part of him revelled in the discomfort of the man watching the door behind him. Glancing back he met Michael's eyes as he stood beside the table and waited apprehensively, not quite knowing what to expect.

"Uncle Seamus," Caitlin squealed as she barged through the door to crash into him. "Look wha' mammy got me…it's a girl lion."

"I can see," Seamus grinned. "I thought ya wanted a cat!"

"I like me lion," Caitlin giggled and shoved the lioness towards him, roaring dramatically until she spotted her father beside the table. Gasping in a breath she grabbed the toy tightly to her chest and started towards him. "Daddy, ya came."

Crashing into him she looked up at him with a beaming smile and wrapped her free arm around his legs. Michael's breath caught in his throat as he struggled to find something to say to the little girl who was looking up at him with so much adoration. He hadn't been prepared for how that one word could affect him so deeply and every part of his training suddenly melted away when she leaned against him.

"Daddy, look wha' mammy got me."

Michael's mouth opened and he swallowed heavily and fought to find his voice. This little girl calling him daddy had managed to immobilise years of self discipline and leave him completely open. He couldn't ever remember feeling so elated and terrified in the same moment before. He knew he had to say something to the child who was clinging to him with such a tight grip but out of all the things he had rehearsed in his mind he couldn't think of a single thing to say.

"It's…nice," he managed before she spoke again and beamed a smile up to melt his heart.

"Do ya like it?" Caitlin asked as she unwrapped her arms from around him to pull on his hand and lead him to the couch. "Mammy said ya wa busy…are ya stayin' now?"

"I—"

Fiona came through the door carrying the bags in one hand and her keys in the other feeling lighter than she had in a long time. The smile that was ready to greet her brother slipped away when she met Michael's dazed eyes.

"Michael?" she managed before she averted her eyes and walked towards the table to place the bags onto the glass surface. She hadn't expected to see him here, not after their argument a few hours ago. When he walked out of here she fully believed that he wouldn't ever be able to forgive her, but when she heard her daughter's voice breaking through the silence she held her breath while she waited for the inevitable words that would bring this brief reunion to an abrupt end.

"Are ya stayin' daddy?" Caitlin asked him again as she tugged on his hand. "Pleeeeease…"

His eyes dropped down to his daughters and he suddenly found himself nodding before he could even think about it. Reaching down he picked her up and felt something catch inside him when she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. In the short time he had known about her, this little girl had managed to already capture his heart. "If your mother says it's okay."

Fiona gasped in a breath and nodded her head quickly before turning away from him so he couldn't see the tears in her eyes. Making her way towards the sink she reached for a glass and turned on the tap as she hurriedly tried to blink the moisture away from her eyes. This was more than she could have hoped for and when she turned to see the man she loved holding their daughter so tightly, she wished with everything she possessed that she wouldn't ever wake up from this dream...

TBC

Thank you for reading. I'm going to be away in London for my cousin's funeral next week so chapter 4 might be a little later than usual.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you to everyone for your reviews, story and author adds. I am still completely overwhelmed by your kindness and I appreciate it more than you could know. Thank you also for all of your condolences, my cousin would have been touched by your words and I thank each and every one of you for your thoughts and wishes.**

**Special thanks to my very special friends Purdy's Pal, Daisyday, Jedi skysinger and haunted-eternity. Not only for reading through parts of this but for keeping laughter alive when it was such a sad time for me. This chapter is dedicated to all of you because I missed you all so much when I was away. I love you all**

4

Michael lifted his eyes to Fiona's flushed face when he returned Caitlin to the floor so that she could run back to her uncle who had one of her books in his hands. Glancing across the room towards Fiona he could see that she was struggling to keep her emotions in check, even though she was managing to hide them well.

There was so much he knew he needed to say to her but he didn't know where to start. She had given up so much for him, more than he'd ever known, but he hoped that when things settled down that she could see through the hurtful words he'd said to her and come back to him.

He wished he could just apologise and take back everything he had put her through over the last few years but he couldn't. He knew he had treated her badly and maybe somewhere deep inside he always knew she would stay with him no matter what he said or did. It was only her threatening to leave him a few weeks ago that finally caused him to sit up and realise what he was about to throw away.

Glancing back towards his daughter he felt strangely nostalgic. Being thrust into fatherhood wasn't something he had envisioned for himself in any part of his future. The one point of focus in his life had always been his job and his subsequent return. He didn't know how to be a father. The only thing he knew how to do was be a spy; it was all he'd ever known. He hadn't lied to Fiona when he'd told her he needed back in because it was the only way to protect the people he loved. In all the years that they had been unofficially together he still didn't know if she even realised that he really did love her.

Fiona's eyes met his only to drop away a second later causing him to swallow down another wave of regret. She too had had her life turned upside down by a child who was expected to just want to live with her, and he knew he hadn't helped the situation either. Moving towards the kitchen he stepped up behind her and hesitated a moment before he laid a hand on her shoulder.

Fiona froze at his touch and he could feel the slight tremble beneath his hand. How could things have changed between them so quickly? There was so much he needed to say to her to give her some kind of reassurance that he wasn't going to up and leave her again like he did all those years ago.

"Fi," he whispered softly as he stepped a little closer. "I…"

Fiona snapped her eyes closed and swallowed hard against the burning in her throat. She didn't know what she was supposed to do now. Over the years she had managed to bury her pain so far down inside her that she had almost managed to get through a day without thinking of what she'd lost. She knew she had done some bad things in the past and maybe in some way she knew the pain she lived with every day was her punishment for leaving her child. She couldn't allow herself to settle and believe for one second that this whole thing was going to work out.

She had her daughter back after all these years and it seemed like some fairy tale ending, one that was too good to be true. Things were going too well and Caitlin had accepted things way too easily, and all she could focus on was when it would all fall apart. Up until now she was sure that Caitlin was treating the situation like just one big adventure, but what happened when she realised that her two uncles were going to return home without her? What then?

Turning away from the child who had dominated every part of her for so many years, she leaned her back against the sink and met Michael's worried gaze. She could see by his eyes that he was trying to show her that he wasn't the same man who had said such hurtful things this morning, but maybe they hurt so much because some of what he'd told her was true. She had kept their daughter a secret from him and even though she did it to protect him, his words ripped open the wounds that had never had a chance to heal.

"Fi," he started, his voice dropping lower as he stepped a little closer. "I'm sorry."

"Is that supposed to fix everything?" she asked in a hushed whisper before she moved away from him to glance at her daughter who was still interacting with her brother. Something broke inside her and she swallowed back a sob before it could break free. Everything was turned upside down and her emotions were all over the place. She didn't know how she was supposed to act or how she was supposed to feel, all she knew was that one minute she was full of elation and the next full of fear.

Gasping in a breath she propelled her body away from his and walked towards the table. Reaching out, she grabbed the new pack of bedding that was on the glass top and snatched it up in her hand, indicating for him to follow her.

Michael knew her well enough to know that the well adjusted mother she portrayed was far from the woman who was doubting her own abilities right now. This was all his fault, he knew that. It was his words and his actions that had caused the armour to fall around her again and it would take more than words to cast her defences aside this time. With a heavy sigh he followed her into the small room and looked around the bare blue walls.

"She wants it pink," Fiona told him hollowly as she looked around the sparse room. "I don't think she understands that it's just going to be me and her living here."

Michael watched her fingers un-pop the plastic packet to slide the crisp bedding out onto the bed. Throwing the plastic onto one of the chairs she proceeded to unfold the linens and separate the different items.

"She thinks this is some kind of vacation," she spoke in a whisper and he wasn't sure if she was speaking to him or to herself. "When Sean and Seamus leave she's going to be stuck living here in a strange country with a strange woman who she's only ever seen in pictures…"

"Fi," he started softly as he fought to find something reassuring to say. "It's going to take time."

"See, that's what I don't have," she growled as she threw the bottom sheet into the air so that it landed over the bed. Bending over she grabbed the material and yanked it over the edge of the mattress. "I have exactly two days until they leave to explain to a child that she has to live with me now, a mother she's never known."

"I'll be here to help," he told her reassuringly as he grabbed the opposite sides of the sheet to tuck it under the mattress. "I want to help, Fi."

"Well that's very noble of you Michael," she told him as she moved to the top of the bed, "but we both know that as soon as you get the call with those magic words you want to hear, you'll be gone."

"Fiona, it's different now—"

"Why?" she asked abruptly, her words slicing through his. "Because you know you have a child now?"

"I'm her father, Fi. I—"

"You've always been her father," she snapped, "and I've always been her mother, it doesn't change the fact that she doesn't know either of us does it?"

Michael watched her charge around the room, finishing off making the bed like a woman on a mission before he finally realised what was happening. Her eyes were wet and her voice was shaking as she tried to hide just how upset she was. Stepping towards her he caught her hands in mid flow to hold her still.

"Michael I have to finish this," she told him, desperately trying to avoid his gaze. She knew if she looked at him then he would be able to see for himself that the pain of her separation from Caitlin was still very raw, even after all this time. She was afraid, elated and felt helpless all at the same time and she didn't know if she would be able to do this alone.

"Stop," he snapped suddenly, causing her to still her movements. His voice came out harsher than he'd meant it to, but when he opened his mouth ready to apologise his voice died in his throat when he saw the intensity in her red rimmed gaze.

"What do I do when she wants to go home?" she asked him shakily. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do…what if she hates it here?"

"She won't hate it," he told her softly as he squeezed her hands. "She's a well balanced child, Fi. I saw how she was with you."

"Yeah, that's because she has some normality here with familiar faces," she told him brokenly. "What happens when they go back to Ireland and she has to stay here?"

"We'll talk to her and make her understand that she has to live here now."

"You think it's that easy?" she asked incredulously. "She's a baby; she doesn't understand why she has to be here without the only family she's known. Yes she knew I was her mother but all this attention, all these new things…what happens when she realises it's just me and her?"

"I'll be here, Fi."

"That's not what I mean Michael," she sighed. "So far she's taken to calling me mommy and she's fallen into being my daughter too easily… I'm just waiting for it all to fall apart."

"It's not going to fall apart, Fi," he told her softly. Stepping closer he traced his fingertips up and down her bare arms before he leaned in to press his lips to her forehead. "We'll take her out tomorrow, just the three of us…spend some time getting to know her."

Fiona's voice caught on a sob as she pulled back to offer him a watery smile. "You know we can't take her out anywhere, not when we don't know who's watching…" her voice trailed off when a sudden thought struck her and she turned to him with haunted eyes. "Oh god, Michael…I took her to the store…I didn't think…"

"Fi, calm down," he told her as he held on to her shoulders. "No one is going to take her from us."

"Can you be sure of that, Michael?" she asked him shakily. "We both have too many enemies, how long do you think it'll take before they figure out she's ours?"

"I won't let anything happen to her," he reassured her as he stepped closer. "Do you think between us and Sam that anything is going to happen to her?"

Fiona closed her eyes and smiled slightly with the thought of how Sam was going to react to their news. Part of her had already envisioned how wide his eyes were going to get before he blew a gasket. She didn't know if she was ready to answer his inevitable questions yet, maybe she never would be.

"So, when Sam agrees with you and tells me I should never have left her behind, who are you going to defend? I doubt it'll be me Michael, not after all the things you said this morning." She averted her eyes and let her gaze linger over the buttons on his shirt. How could she expect him to forgive her when she could never forgive herself?

"Fi," Michael whispered, desperately trying to break through the walls of doubt that had fallen back around her. "Sean told me what you went through after I left," he told her honestly as he skimmed his fingertips down her arm. "If I'd known you were pregnant I would have found a way to take you with me."

Fiona drew in a shaky breath and nodded her head despite knowing full well that he wouldn't have taken her anywhere. His job had always been the most important thing in his life and she doubted that an addition of a child would have changed that.

"I would have," he told her adamantly when she cast him a dubious gaze. "Fiona…"

"Okay," she told him quietly before she stepped away from his touch and surveyed the new bedding in an effort to end their topic of conversation. Talking about the past wasn't ever going to change what happened and there was just no point going over it again.

Michael watched her eyes fall onto the bright pink bedding and knew what she was trying to do. He knew they had a lot to talk about but there would be time later to do that. Turning towards the bed he tried to think of something to say that wouldn't rehash the past.

"And she chose this?" Michael asked her quickly. "It's very…"

"Pink?" she asked as she raised her eyebrow. "Well you didn't think _I _chose this did you?"

His lips lifted into a smirk as he looked over the bright pink bed. Turning towards the woman beside him he was about to tell her once again that he would be here to help her when the bedroom door opened to reveal their inquisitive daughter who was clutching her new lioness under one arm and her rag doll under the other. Seamus poked his head around the door and eyed them both suspiciously before he stepped fully inside.

"I'm gonna get a bit a shut eye sis," he told Fiona when she turned to look at her daughter. "I'll er…leave ya both ta do what ya were doin'."

"Okay," she nodded before she turned her attention back to the little girl. Lifting her gaze to the man she loved she couldn't help but wonder how they were going to do this parenting thing. Neither of them were particularly parent material and their jobs weren't conventional. She wouldn't be able to work those early hour gun deals anymore and she'd have to think about looking for a new house and a decent school.

Caitlin's excited squeal brought her out of her thoughts and she turned to watch her daughter lunge for the bed to bounce up and down onto the pink bedding.

"Daddy?" she giggled excitedly as she grabbed for Michael's hand before he could react and pulled him down to sit on the edge of the bed. "Look at me bed…it's got teddy bears on it."

"I know," he told her with a smile when she cast him with the biggest grin he'd ever seen. There was something about her that caused him to lose his heart and even though he had only known her for a very short time, she had the same effect on him as her mother had all those years ago. He had fallen for her in seconds too.

The little girl continued to bounce and giggle hysterically leaving both of her parents to stare at her. Michael stood up from the bed and stepped away. His head was spinning, kids weren't his speciality and he had no idea what he was supposed to do to entertain a young child. Glancing across at Fiona he could see that she was just as scared as he was and that sent shards of fear throughout his body. Out of the two of them she was the only one who seemed to know what she was doing.

"Caitlin," Fiona spoke as she stepped closer towards the bed and sat down onto the edge of the mattress. Looking towards her daughter she patted the top of the bed. "Come and sit for a minute okay?"

Michael watched on in wonder when their little girl stopped bouncing and dropped to her knees only to bounce all the way towards her mother. Lunging forward she sat down next to Fiona and reached for her hand to begin playing with the beads around her wrists.

"I like yer beads mammy," Caitlin told her with a big smile. "Aunt Marie's got some too."

"Has she?" Fiona asked softly she moved her wrist for Caitlin to twist some of the bracelets. "Did Aunt Marie tell you that you were going to be living here with me?"

Caitlin moved her other hand to Fiona's bracelets and started to manoeuvre the beads around with her fingers. "Yep…all tha time."

"All the time?" Fiona asked softly as she lifted her eyes to meet Michael's in confusion.

"Uhu," Caitlin told her, tugging on the bracelets so she could twist them around. "She said I would be livin' wit me mammy one day an' I couldn' stay wit' har ferever because she wasn' me mammy."

"Did she tell you that Uncle Sean and Uncle Seamus won't be staying here with us?" she asked her carefully, still unsure if her daughter understood. "They'll be going back to live with Uncle Pat and Aunt Marie."

Caitlin's hands stilled and she lifted her eyes up to her mother's. "Ferever?"

Fiona glanced up to the man standing beside the bed before dropping her eyes back to their daughter. "Yes sweetie. They brought you to America to live here with me. Do you know what that means?"

Caitlin stopped playing with Fiona's beads and leaned into her arm. Nodding her head slowly she reached for her lioness and started to bounce it on her knee.

"You know you won't be going back to Ireland with your uncles anymore don't you?" she asked softly. "And you won't be living with Aunt Marie and Uncle Pat. You won't see them again for a really long time."

"I know," Caitlin told her with a smile as she put her lioness on the bed and dropped her eyes back down to her mother's jewellery. "Aunt Marie said I wa' goin' ta live wit' ya now mammy."

"Okay," Fiona nodded hopefully. "And do you understand that when your uncles leave it'll only be you and mommy living here."

"Okay," Caitlin told her before she looked up at Michael, blinking in confusion. "And daddy?"

Michael swallowed hard and struggled to find something to say but Fiona spoke for him when she saw his mouth open and close. "Remember I told you daddy has an important job? He doesn't live here because he has to go away lots of times."

"But…I can stay over some nights," Michael told her quickly as he came to sit back onto the edge of the bed.

"And you'll be going to school here," Fiona told her, still waiting for the eruption of tears. "You'll make new friends."

"Like Mary?" Caitlin asked excitedly. "She's me best friend."

"Maybe you'll meet someone just as nice as Mary," Fiona lowered her voice and turned her hand to still Caitlin's fingers. "You'll find a new best friend here."

"You have a family here, too," Michael told her quickly as if his words could ease the blow. "As well as me and your mom."

Caitlin sat up and beamed a smile at her father. "Like Uncle Seamus?"

Sam's face sprang into Michael's mind and he already knew that this little girl would be able to wrap his best friend around her little finger.

"Yes but his name is Sam," Michael told her.

"Your Uncle Sam will love you," Fiona told her with a smile as she bent down to place a soft kiss into Caitlin's hair. "And Uncle Nate will too."

Michael's eyes met Fiona's when they both suddenly remembered that neither of them had thought of Madeline. Fiona had no idea how she was going to react to the news that she had a granddaughter, especially one that was almost five years old.

Standing up from the bed, Michael took his phone out of his pocket and watched the two women in his life sitting side by side as they suddenly turned their attention to him.

"I…I'm just going to make a phone call…I'll be right back, okay?"

"Michael this is something you should do face to face," Fiona told him quietly. "Not over the phone."

"Fi—"

"Go," she told him softly. "Pick up something for dinner while you're out?"

"Okay," he sighed, not looking forward to the conversation with his mother. "Pizza?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Fiona realised that she had no idea what her daughter liked to eat. Nudging Caitlin gently she leaned close to her ear, "Do you want daddy to bring back pizza for dinner?"

Caitlin's head snapped up and she jumped off the bed to grab hold of his hand. "Can I come too?"

Michael's eyes widened in shock and he looked from Caitlin to Fiona resembling a dear caught in headlights. Taking a breath he looked down at his daughter who was clinging to his hand so tightly that he suddenly couldn't remember why he had to leave.

"Your daddy has to go to see someone about work baby," Fiona told her quickly as she met Michael's eyes and smiled. "But while he's gone why don't you find me one of your books and we'll read it while we're waiting."

"Okay," Caitlin dropped Michael's hand and ran towards the small pile of books that she'd brought with her and started to rummage through the titles.

"Michael don't take too long," Fiona told him in a hushed whisper. "She wants you to stay so don't let her down."

Michael opened his mouth to tell her that he wasn't planning to do anything of the sort when his daughter jumped up and shoved a book towards her mother.

"Mog," she beamed.

Fiona looked down at the book in her hands and couldn't help the wide smile that lifted her lips. "Mog is a cat?" she grinned. "Now how did I know that?"

"Yer funny mammy," Caitlin giggled before she took the book back and sat on the bed.

"Okay, I'll see you both later," Michael told the two of them as they both looked up at him and smiled. Seated side by side he could easily see the resemblance and there was no mistaking that Caitlin was Fiona's daughter. For a moment he watched the two of them interact and suddenly he didn't want to leave. Taking a breath he hovered on the same spot before he forced himself to take a step backwards.

"Say bye to daddy," Fiona whispered against her daughter's ear. "I think he's waiting."

Caitlin pulled her eyes away from the colourful pictures in her book to offer him a big toothy grin before she waved at him. "Bye."

"Like mother like daughter," he sighed when he glanced back to the two women in his life. "I'll see you later."

000

Madeline was reading a magazine at the table when Michael opened the front door to step inside. He'd rehearsed what he was going to say to her over and over again, but now he was actually here he didn't know how to start.

"Michael," she beamed when she looked up to see him standing in the same spot looking every bit as nervous as he had on the day he told her he was leaving home. Stubbing her cigarette into her ashtray she pushed her chair back and slowly stood up. "What's wrong?"

"Mom," shaking his head he took a step towards her and opened his mouth to speak but no words would come out. "I—"

"Oh god, is it Fi?" she gasped. "Did something happen to her?"

Closing his eyes he opened them just as quickly to see her already reaching for another cigarette. Surging forward he took hold of her hands and guided her back towards the table to sit her down in one of the chairs.

"I have to tell you something," he started, but stopped when he struggled to find the right words. "It is about Fi…in a way…"

"Oh Michael, not again," she sighed in annoyance as she sank back into her chair. "You always do this. Fiona is a lovely girl and all you can't keep pushing her aside—"

"Mom," he interrupted, reaching out to hold onto her hands. "It's not _that.._.not this time."

"Okay, so what is it?" she asked haughtily. "Tell me what the hell is going on."

Caitlin's image filtered into his mind filling him with so many emotions that he didn't know if he could ever feel anything that was quite like the elation that was soaring through him now.

"Fiona's brothers are in Miami," he told her but held up his hand to silence her before she could interrupt. "Sean said he got back to Ireland and there were a lot of questions and accusations once O'Neill told everyone back in Ireland that I was an American."

"Yes I remember," she nodded. "That's why Fiona can't go home, right?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "And that's why Sean turned up today with Seamus and…Caitlin…"

"Caitlin?" Madeline was confused. "I thought you said it was just her brothers…"

"It _was_ just her brothers," swallowing hard his mind drifted to his little girl before he forced his eyes back to his mother's confused glare. "Caitlin is my daughter, mom."

In all the time he had known her Michael had never seen his mother shocked into silence before. When realisation finally dawned, her mouth slowly dropped open and he didn't know if she was happy or just confused. Shifting forward in his seat he reached for her hands and squeezed her fingers.

"I didn't know about her until today," he told her softly. "Fi was pregnant when I left Ireland."

Madeline looked down at his hand on hers as she tried to process what he was telling her. She had a granddaughter? Michael was a father? Sudden images flooded her mind and she found herself thinking of Fiona and her being alone and pregnant. A surge of protectiveness swamped her senses and pure disappointment encroached over her feelings for her son.

"And you left her?" Madeline asked disbelievingly. "I thought I raised you better than that."

Michael closed his eyes and sighed. He had a feeling this would happen and she would automatically blame him for this. Opening his eyes again he shook his head and followed her eyes with his own before she finally closed her mouth to let him speak.

"I didn't know she was pregnant, ma," he told her, imploring her to understand. "I left Ireland to protect her—"

"So you didn't give her the chance to tell she was having your baby?" she snapped angrily. "You left her to deal with it on her own and she let you?"

"She didn't know I was leaving," he sighed. "But that's not the point…"

"How could you just dismiss your girlfriend like that Michael?" she griped as she shook her head. "I'm amazed she's still with you."

"Look, ma—"

"Wait a minute…" she started, her mind slowly realising that something was wrong here. "Fiona left her child behind?" shaking her head in confusion she lifted her eyes to his with displeasure. "How could she do that?"

"It was complicated," he sighed, already trying to smooth over the truth so that Fiona didn't have to go through all of this again. "I left her behind without thinking of what she was going through. O'Neill was looking for her and she had to leave Caitlin with her brother so she could leave Ireland."

Madeline curled her lip and reached for her cigarettes. Why couldn't her son ever do anything the normal way? Why did everything have to be so complicated all of the time? She knew the words that followed were wrong and degrading before they left her lips but she couldn't seem to stop her mouth surging ahead of her brain.

"And you're sure she's yours?"

Michael's whole body stilled, his mother's comments caused sudden anger to spark in his eyes and he pulled his hands away as if he'd been burnt. "Yes, she's mine."

"Okay…" Madeline reached for her cigarettes and lifted one out of the box to put it to her lips. "So, tell me about her. How old is she? Does she know you're her father?"

Michael pushed the chair back and stood up, suddenly more protective over Fiona than he had ever been. He knew his mother loved his girlfriend and her hurtful words were only spoken through shock but he still felt like he had something to prove. Taking a step back he watched her coolly as her eyes widened in surprise.

"Do you want to meet her?" He asked her as he folded his arm across his chest.

"Well of course I want to meet my granddaughter Michael," she told him haughtily, shaking her head with impatience. "Jeeze…"

"I mean, do you want to meet her now, tonight?"

Madeline's eyes widened in surprise and she suddenly didn't know what she was supposed to say. Sitting forward in her chair she eyed her son dubiously before she slowly nodded her head.

"Are you sure it won't be too much?" she asked worriedly. "Another new face so soon?"

Madeline watched in total amazement when her son seemed to come alive right before her eyes. There was a spark in his blue eyes that she hadn't seen in a very long time, and that's when she realised that Fiona's little girl had stolen his heart.

"She's not the shy type," he told her with a slow smile, and she wasn't. She had taken everything in her stride and even though he was terrified of what the future held for the three of them he couldn't help the pride filtering through his words. "She takes after Fi."

"Okay," Madeleine told him with a smile when she realised that she had never seen her son looking so happy before. "Let me get my coat."

000

An hour later Michael pushed the door to Fiona's house open and juggled pizza boxes in his hands. Madeline followed inside, and looked around, still not sure what she what she was expecting. Looking around the empty room Michael placed the two pizza boxes onto the table and called out Fiona's name.

"Fi," he started as he moved towards the bedrooms.

"_In here,"_ came her muffled reply and he turned towards the closed bathroom door. _"We'll be out in a minute."_

Michael looked at the closed door with sudden disappointment. He'd only been away for just over an hour but for some unfathomable reason he'd ached to be back here. Turning away from the bathroom he made his way back towards his mother and was about to tell her that Fiona and Caitlin would be out in a few minutes when he heard a squeal behind him.

"DADDY…"

Caitlin started to move towards him clad in pink pyjamas, and her scooped her up in his arms, falling so naturally into his father role. He was fully prepared to place her feet back onto the floor but to his surprise she kept her hands on his shoulders and leaned back to look at him.

"Daddy…" her voice came from nowhere and he still couldn't fathom how that one word could cause his heart to melt. When he didn't answer right away he caught the questioning look in her eyes and for a moment he was taken aback by how much she resembled her mother.

"Yes?" he asked her with a slow smile as he tried to find some kind of balance between them.

Caitlin lifted her hands from his shoulders and took his sunglasses off of his face before granting him a big toothy smile.

"Why ya wearing sunny glasses indoors?" she asked as she turned them around in her hands and put them on her own face. Tilting up her chin she beamed him a big smile and leaned forward to kiss him soundly.

Michael couldn't help it, a slow chuckle escaped his lips and he just couldn't seem to remember why he had been so angry before. Shaking his head he slowly placed her back onto the floor and watched in adoration as she turned to her mother and ran towards her.

"Look mammy, I got daddy's sunny glasses on?" she giggled as she wrapped her arms around her mother's legs. "Do I look like daddy now?"

Fiona dropped to her knees beside her daughter and rearranged the glasses so that they were straight and burst into a wide grin. "There, now you look like your daddy."

Caitlin giggled and leaned forward to kiss her mother before she looked around the room and spotted a different person in the room. Suddenly shy, Caitlin leaned against her mother's shoulders and eyed the other woman.

"Caitlin," Michael lowered his voice and stepped towards her. "This is your grandmother."

Fiona rolled her eyes and caught Madeline's smirk with Michael's choice of words. Standing up she took Caitlin's hand and ushered her forward. "Baby this is your nana, she's daddy's mommy."

"Well hello there sweetheart," Madeline smiled as she gazed down at the little girl. "Your daddy has been telling me all about you."

"Are ya daddy's mammy?" Caitlin asked shyly as she stayed by her mother's side.

"I sure am honey," Madeline grinned as she took a small pink teddy bear out of her bag. "He told me your favourite colour is pink."

Caitlin nodded her head and left her mother's side to move towards the white haired woman to offer her a smile as she took the teddy from her hands. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome," Madeline told her softly. "Have you been to the beach yet?"

Caitlin gasped and bounced on the spot before she pushed Michael's glasses further onto her nose. "I got a pink suit," she gushed. "Mammy got it fer me."

"Well, maybe when you get to know me a little better your mommy will let me take you to the beach," Madeline told her with a smile. "What do you think?"

Caitlin nodded slowly and grinned up at her. "I've got daddy's sunny glasses…look…"

"I can see that," she told her, keeping her voice light as she spoke. "You'll have to ask your dad to buy you some that fit you."

Caitlin gasped and bounced up and down before she charged back towards her father. "Can I daddy?" she asked excitedly. "Can ya get me ma own sunny glasses?"

Michael met Fiona's eyes with wide fascination. How could someone so small have so much impact on their lives and feel as if she had always been here? Holding out his arms to her he wasn't prepared for the powerful burst of love to envelope him when he scooped her up in his arms again.

"I think we'll go and find you some tomorrow," he nodded, much to her delight. Reaching forwards she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and squeezed him tight.

Fiona felt a wave of relief wash over her when Michael seemed to be relaxing with every second. Turning towards Madeline she met her gaze before she offered her a shaky smile. She felt like she was living in a dream, one that she would never have dared wish for.

Moving towards Michael's mother she stopped half way and glanced back towards her daughter who was already proceeding to wrap her father around her little finger. Shaking her head incredulously she smiled despite the heaviness in her heart. It had taken years of his rejections to make her realise that he wasn't ever going to settle down, and she just hoped for Caitlin's sake that he didn't up and leave her too.

Madeline squeezed her arm and followed her gaze when she came to stand beside her. "She's a sweetheart, Fi."

Fiona swallowed hard before she turned towards the woman beside her, ready to defend her actions when she left Ireland, but to her surprise she didn't see any disappointment in Madeline's eyes.

"I know you have questions," she told her softly. "I don't know how much Michael told you—"

"He told me enough honey," Madeline told her reassuringly as she watched her son falling in deeper with every passing second. "She's going to be just fine."

"I hope so," Fiona sighed shakily when she turned to look at her daughter's happy face. "I just hope after a week she doesn't want to go back to my brother and his wife…after all, they've raised her since she was a baby."

"Fiona, being a mother isn't something that just happens, you learn as you go along." Placing a hand on Fiona's arm she steered her towards the table to sit her down. "You learn from each other."

Fiona closed her eyes against her words and struggled to see how she could teach her daughter when she didn't have a clue what she was doing. The night she left Caitlin behind would never leave her. It haunted her dreams and she had already gone through every kind of emotion from desolation to intense self hatred. She didn't want to talk about it now, maybe she never would.

"I don't even know what time she goes to bed," she whispered as she slowly opened her eyes to linger her gaze over her little girl. "I don't know what kind of food she likes."

"Fiona, she's your daughter," Madeline told her softly. "She'll learn from you and Michael."

"Learn what exactly?" Fiona asked as she struggled to keep her voice from trembling. "I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing."

"Listen honey," Madeline told her as she pulled the chair out beside her to sit down beside her. "Forget about everything she learned with your brother. Her life starts here, today, with you and Michael. It's up to both of you to show her that you're her parents."

"You make it sound so easy," Fiona told her with a slight smile. "I'm just so…"

"Overwhelmed? Terrified? You doubt yourself?" Madeline asked her as she enclosed her hand around hers.

"Yes," Fiona told her with wide eyes. "How did you…"

"Because you're feeling what every new mother feels honey," Madeline smiled. "The only difference is that your baby can walk and talk… enjoy being a mother Fiona because time goes by so fast."

Fiona nodded silently and swallowed the lump in her throat before she leaned her head against Madeline's. "Thank you…for being here Madeline."

"Any time sweetheart," the older woman told her with a smile. "And one day when you're ready maybe you can tell me what happened in Ireland?"

"Yeah," Fiona nodded. "I will."

Michael glanced in their direction and suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to pull Fiona away from his mother to wrap his arms around her. She looked so sad even though she was hiding behind another of her false smile.

Holding Caitlin tightly he walked towards the table and smiled when she wrapped both her arms around him.

"So, did you like going shopping with your mom today?" he asked her softly, the words just seeping out in a natural wave.

"Yep," she grinned and took the sunglasses off of her face to put them back onto his. "Mammy got me some new dresses…ya want ta see?"

"Maybe later after dinner," he told her with a wide smile, feeling much more connected to this child as every second passed. Placing her back town onto the floor he laid his hand on her hair when she leaned against his leg before leaving his side to race towards her new grandmother.

"Nana," she tapped Madeline on the arm and waited until she had her full attention before she smiled. "Do ya want ta see ma new bed?"

"You have a new bed?" Madeline asked with a beaming smile when her little granddaughter nodded her head enthusiastically. "Well I would love to sweetheart."

Taking hold of Caitlin's hand she stood up and allowed the child to lead the way, before casting her son a look that told him he needed to help Fiona through this.

Michael watched his mother follow Caitlin and waited until his daughter's excited chatter died away before he turned to the woman seated at the table looking like she was about to break. Without thinking he moved towards her and pulled her out of the chair to wrap his arms around her in a tight embrace. The walls that she'd placed around herself finally came tumbling down as she fell into his body and allowed the first tear to fall down her cheek and seep into his shirt.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has left a review, PM'd and for the favourite story and author adds. If I haven't managed to send a personal review, please know that I appreciate every comment.**

**Special thanks as always to my lovely friends Purdy's Pal, DaisyDay and Jedi Skysinger for reading through parts of this for me.**

5

It was a little after seven when Sean finally emerged from his make shift bed upstairs. He'd been awake for an hour or so listening to the loud chatter from his little niece but he'd stayed in bed wanting to give his sister as much time alone with Caitlin as he could. There was a large part of him that still held so much regret for the past and the damage it had caused. He could have helped his sister more before he willingly stood back to watch his mother wade in and take control.

Caitlin was leaning against Madeline with her thumb in her mouth as she listened intently to the story they were reading. When he approached she looked up at him when he reached the table and offered him a wave before she turned her attention back to her grandmother and the book on her lap. Watching their interactions his worries started to fade away and he knew that bringing Caitlin back to her mother had been the right thing to do. Looking towards his sister, he walked past Caitlin and patted her on the head before moving towards her parents.

He noted how closely Michael was standing beside Fiona and by the way his sister's eyes were red rimmed, he recognised the tell tale signs of tears.

"She setllin' in?" he asked as he cast a look back at his niece.

"She's ours," Fiona almost growled when she glared at him. "Of course she's settling in."

Sean knew his sister was upset and she had every right to be. She had missed valuable years with her daughter, years that she couldn't get back and he'd had a part in providing that pain. He knew he owed her so much more than he could possible give her but when he saw her eyes wander over towards the little girl who had started all of this so many year ago, he knew that this little family unit was going to be okay.

"Fiona," he started, lowering his voice as he spoke. "I got a message from ma, she wanted ta talk ta ya."

At the mention of her mother, Fiona stiffened and seemed to gravitate closer to the man beside her. She eyed her brother with barely contained anger as she shook her head in disbelief.

"Really?" she asked, her voice breaking bitterly. "That's too bad because I don't want to speak to her."

"Fiona—"

"Ever Sean," she told him, her voice growling out his name. "You tell her that from me, and don't _ever _speak her name again."

Sean opened his mouth to speak again but clamped his lips shut when he saw the concern in Michael's eyes. Standing up a little straighter, Sean noticed that his sister's American boyfriend stepped forward to place himself between them.

"Leave it be Sean," he warned. "Don't you think you've all put her through enough?"

"Now listen here. Where'd ya get off talkin' like yer never did anythin' ta har—"

"I never said I was perfect—"

"Ya up an' left har—"

"Would tha both a ya jus' shu'up," Fiona snapped, her voice coming out in a hushed whisper when her native tongue slipped into her words. "Ya both a pissin' me off."

Michael's eyes grew wide when she pushed past both of them to go towards the table and sit in the chair next to her daughter. Both men silently watched as she shifted a little closer to kiss Caitlin on the head before wrapping an arm around her so the little girl was cocooned between her and Madeline.

Sean swallowed heavily and nodded towards the man beside him, indicating for him to follow. Making his way over towards one of the bags Caitlin had brought in with her, he unzipped the pouch at the top and took out a small folder only to hand it to the man beside it.

"What's this?" Michael asked curiously as he slowly began to open the pouch and take a look inside.

"Caitlin's birth certificate, an' some paper's fer tha new doc," Sean kept his voice low as he spoke and stepped a little closer. "Fiona had already left befer we could get tha babby registered so Pat did it fer har."

Michael slipped his hand inside the envelope and took out the small square paper that had Caitlin's name written in blue writing, _Caitlin Claire McBride. _

"We didn' know ya were a Westen back then so Pat listed tha two a ya as McBride's…Fiona wa' always paranoid about O'Neill findin' out about tha babby so Pat listed har as Fiona McBride too…I know it's—"

"It's fine Sean," Michael muttered, slicing through his words as he allowed his eyes to linger over his daughter's name. "I guess we should be grateful that he didn't put his own name on her birth certificate."

"Pat never wanted ta keep har," Sean told him as his voice rose a little in anger. "He—"

"Fiona told me what happened," Michael's voice lowered to a harsh whisper as he glanced to where his girlfriend was sitting before he turned his eyes back to her brother. "Her own family…"

"It wa' complicated Michael," Sean told him quietly. "Ya weren' thare, Fiona wa' babblin' abou' ya an' we panicked…ma called in fader O'Mally ta read har last rights an' she screamed blue murdar. "

Michael swallowed the lump in his throat and shook his head in confusion. "Wait a minute…" shaking his head, his voice shook as he clung to the papers in his hand. "She was given her last rights?"

"We thought she wa' dyin'…an' when tha babby wa' born thare wa' so much blood tha' fader O'Mally baptised Caitlin tha second she came inta tha world…"

"_What?"_ Michael hissed. Lifting his free hand to his face he rubbed his fingers over his forehead before he dropped his hand helplessly. "I didn't know…"

"Michael, ya have ta talk ta har about me ma. She di' wha' she though' wa right…"

"By almost letting Fi die?" he asked incredulously as he stuffed Caitlin's birth certificate back into the envelope. "Look, whatever the reasons I don't think Fi is ready to forgive anyone right now."

"Really?" Sean asked haughtily. "Yer mighty sure a yerself aren't ya?"

"No, this is one time I'm not sure of anything," he sighed as he glanced back towards Caitlin and Fiona. "I left her too."

A sudden chuckle erupted from the man beside him and Michael turned to cast Sean an incredulous glare. "What—"

"I wouldn' worry about yerself being forgiven, Michael, she's still in love wit ya…so ya get a free pass ya lucky bastard." Slapping the stunned man on the shoulder, Sean stepped away from him and made his way towards his sister.

Michael's head was spinning. He'd known all those years ago back in Ireland that what he shared with Fiona went far deeper than anything he'd ever felt before. When he'd gotten the call to get out of Ireland it was the first time in his career that he hadn't wanted to leave.

_He was stirring vegetables in a pan, his mind churning over his next move when he felt her arms encircle him from behind. Her warmth seeped into him and he could already feel his body's response to her touch._

"_Mmm…" she purred against his ear and she moved lower to press a soft kiss against his neck. "Ya spoil me Michael…"_

"_By makin' ya dinner?" he asked in amusement only to gasp in a breath when her hands slid down to his stomach. "Fi…"_

_Her lips scorched his skin and she was slowly driving him insane. Her kisses always rendered him powerless, leaving him open to her in every possible way. He'd never felt this with any other woman, not this overpowering need to bury himself inside her._

_Fiona moulded her body against his back and reached forward to turn off the stove before she delved her fingers into the waistband of his jeans._

"_Mmm…" she hummed, enjoying his body reacting to her touch. "I missed ya last night…I think ya need ta make it up ta me…"_

_Michael swallowed hard and tried to focus on anything except her hand and what she was doing to him. Gasping in a shuddered breath he managed to mutter a strangled, "Aren't ya hungry?" before he felt the low rumble from her body as she laughed._

"_Oh yeah," she whispered against his ear before she withdrew her hand only to step around him until they were face to face. Her eyes flared with passion when she stepped even closer, commanding his lips to gravitate towards her as she caught him in a powerful kiss that caused him to groan in surrender. _

_His hands raked over her waist and then lower to the waistband of her jeans to pull her shirt up over her head. She lifted her arms, freeing herself of the retraining clothes that kept their bodies apart. Almost instantly he was kissing her bare shoulder, trailing hot kisses down her body until he came to the lace of her bra._

_Pulling back, he gazed down into her eyes with heated desire. No words were spoken as he walked her backwards, edging her towards the bedroom that beckoned for them to enter. Lips met, clashing together in a mixture of passion and pure love. Michael refused to release her, even when they reached the bed and fell into a tangled heap onto the soft mattress. _

Caitlin's voice brought him out of his memories when he lifted his eyes to see his mother's lips turn upwards into a wide smile. In all the time he had been growing up he couldn't ever recall a time when his mother had looked so happy. It seemed that having a grand daughter was all it took to bring the sparkle back to his mother's eyes.

"Nana ya missed a page," Caitlin giggled when she reached out to go back a page. "Ya see, ya missed tha cat…"

"Well," Madeline told her with a wide smile as she kissed her granddaughter's head. "You are too clever for me, sweetheart."

"Yer silly nana," Caitlin told her with a big smile and leaned her head back against her grandmother, returning her thumb to her mouth.

Michael shook his head and smiled when he saw how quickly Caitlin had settled in with her new family. The folder in his hands burnt a hole in his conscience as well as his heart. He hadn't thought of the consequences when he'd left Fiona back in Ireland. He hadn't thought of anything but himself and his damn job, but look where his loyalty had got him. He was burned and cast aside by the people he gave his loyalty to and instead was embraced by the one person who had every right to turn her back on him, but she hadn't. Instead she had stayed by his side, loving him when he knew he didn't deserve it. She remained his rock, the one constant in his life that he could always rely on and if it took him forever to make it up to her he would do whatever he had to do to regain her trust.

His phone vibrated inside his pocket and for a moment he resented the intrusion into the time that should have only been for him and his new family. Taking the phone out of his pocket he looked down at the name on the screen and closed his eyes briefly when Sam's name flashed up on the screen.

Turning away from the small gathering around the table he lifted his phone to his ear and spoke his friends name as he moved towards Fiona's bedroom.

"_Mikey where are ya brother? I've been at the loft for three hours waitin' for ya."_

"Sorry Sam," Michael sighed heavily, unsure how he was going to explain his absence. "I'm staying with Fi…I won't be back at the loft tonight."

"_Is everything okay?"_ Sam's voice dropped slightly when he heard the slight hitch in Michael's breathing. _"Is Fi okay?"_

"We're both fine Sam," Michael told him when his mind barraged him with images of his daughter. "But, there is something you need to know…"

"_Oookaaay?"_ Sam asked cautiously. _"Am I gonna regret askin' ya what's goin' on between the two a you?"_

"I don't want to get into the details over the phone so come over to Fi's tomorrow morning—"

"_Look, Mike…I'm not takin' sides between the two a you. If you're gonna get into it again I'll stay away…"_

"Just get over here in the morning and we'll explain everything," Michael couldn't help the smile that lifted his lips when he thought of Sam's reaction when he met Caitlin tomorrow.

"_What's wrong with Carlitos?"_

"Nothing," Michael's voice caught in his throat when the door slowly opened to reveal Fiona and Caitlin. His heart thundered inside his chest and he could hear his friend speak his name again. "I'm fine…uh…Sam…"

"_Oh no…don't tell me you two are doin' what I think ya doin'…Mikey that's wrong…I'm gonna go—"_

Shaking his head Michael looked down at the silent phone incredulously before he tossed it onto Fiona's dresser.

"She wanted to know where you were," Fiona told him softly when their daughter made her way towards him.

"I though' ya gone, daddy," Caitlin whined as she yawned and leaned against him.

"Hey, I wouldn't leave without saying bye to you," he smiled when Caitlin struggled to climb onto his lap. His arms seemed to move on their own as he encompassed his little girl to pull her tightly against him. "Are you doing okay?"

The little girl in his arms yawned again, stuck her thumb in her mouth and nodded. Stepping towards the two of them Fiona reached out to her daughters head to stroke her fingers through her soft strands before she sat onto the bed beside them.

"She thought you'd left," Fiona whispered softly before she leaned her head against his shoulder. She was so tired but at the same time she was afraid to close her eyes in case this was all just a dream. Lifting her head again she chanced a look at his face and realised that after everything that had happened today she was still unsure whether he wanted to stay. What happened when the novelty wore off?

"I think it's time for you to go to bed," she told her daughter as she stroked her pyjama clad arm. "Come on. We'll find one of your books to read."

Caitlin yawned again and nestled against her father's chest before she lost the battle with sleep and closed her eyes. Michael's gaze drifted down to his daughter's face before coming back up to Fiona's emotion filled eyes. Sliding forward off of the bed he lifted Caitlin in his arms, amazed that she didn't wake up with the movements, and carried her carefully into her bedroom.

The weight of her small body caused something to stir inside his heart and he suddenly understood something that Fiona had spent years trying to make him understand. Loving someone was far more rewarding than being a spy or receiving any of the other _perks_ that came with it. He just hoped he wasn't too late to prove to her that he had been listening after all.

Moving towards Caitlin's bed he laid her down onto the mattress and stood back, completely mesmerised by Fiona's transformation from a trigger happy ex IRA operative to a devoted mother. She was gentle when she delicately brushed her fingers over Caitlin's hair before she moved around the bed to cover their daughter and tuck her rag doll and lion into the bed beside her. He swallowed the lump in his throat when he felt something snap inside him. She had been denied this simple ritual from the first few weeks of Caitlin's birth, something that her family had no right to take from her.

Stepping away from the bed, Fiona turned to watch him quietly before she cast another glance towards their sleeping daughter. Sighing heavily she moved towards the open door and hovered there for a few seconds until he ushered her out of the room. It had been a very long day, one that had seemed to linger on forever. Reaching out to her he skimmed his fingertips over her shoulders and led her back into her bedroom to sit her down onto the bed.

He could feel her eyes on him when he took the folder containing Caitlin's birth certificate off of the dresser and came to sit down beside her.

"Sean gave me this," he told her as he opened the folder to pull out Caitlin's documents. "Pat registered Caitlin's birth after you left."

Reaching out a trembling hand she took the birth certificate from his fingers and looked down at it with blurry eyes. There it was the truth about Caitlin's parents written for all to see. Michael McBride, the Irish man she had fallen for so deeply was listed as her true father…a man who didn't exist…

Drawing in a shaky breath she handed it back to him and stood up from the bed. She was bone weary tired and the events of the day were slowly taking their toll on her heart as well as her emotions. She didn't know if she had the strength to do this anymore, not with a man who only loved her when it suited him.

"Your mother's waiting," she told him quietly, unable to hide the quiver in her voice. "You should go and see her."

Michael's eyes widened with her words. He didn't know what had just happened but he knew he had to get her alone to go over a few things with her. She was behaving like a woman who had just lost everything and maybe it was just the past colliding with the present, but whatever it was she was scaring him. Getting up from the bed he placed the folder and Caitlin's papers onto the dresser before following her out of the bedroom.

Madeline could see right away that her son's girlfriend was fast approaching breaking point. She had always been a fiery passionate woman and Madeline could already foresee the cracks in her exterior and wondered if Michael had noticed. She glanced over towards her son and realised he was watching the woman beside him cautiously like she was some unexploded bomb, and maybe given the circumstances an unexploded bomb was right.

Getting up from the table she picked up her bag and hooked it over her shoulder before she coughed to gain their attention.

"I'm going to head home," she told them quietly as she moved towards the young woman who she had always seen as a daughter. Holding out her arms she pulled Fiona into a tight embrace before standing back to pat her face affectionately. "Get some sleep yourself sweetheart, you look exhausted."

Fiona lifted her eyes to Madeline's and tried to smile but she couldn't seem to make her lips cooperate. There were so many emotions tumbling around inside her to cause chaos wherever they fell, and all she could do was nod her head tiredly.

Stepping away from her, Madeline moved to her son to repeat the process but this time she hovered close to him to whisper, "Take care of her," into his ear.

Michael nodded silently when she moved away from him. He knew he would do as much as Fiona would let him do to make amends for everything he'd put her through. He wanted to know everything that had happened during the months she was pregnant and the obvious devastation afterwards but he didn't want to push for too much too soon.

His mother's voice broke through his thoughts when she turned to Sean and watched him expectantly. "Tomorrow you and your brother can come and stay over at my house and give Michael and Fi some time alone."

Sean opened his mouth to protest but she held up her hand to silence him. "It's not a request. We'll go over the details in the car while you take me home."

Michael's eyes shot up to Sean's in sympathy. Part of him was relieved that his mother had found a new target to focus her attentions on, but spending some time alone with Fiona and Caitlin outweighed any amount of empathy he'd felt for Sean.

Sean's mouth dropped open and he shook his head in disbelief. "Wha' ya talkin' abou'?"

"I'm talking about you getting your car keys and driving me home," she told him snippily. "Fiona's too tired to drive and Michael needs to stay here with her. That leaves you…so…"

The Irish man cast Michael a dubious look before he muttered something in Gaelic under his breath. "I ditched tha car befer we got back…"

"Here," Michael told him as he fished his keys out of his pocket and tossed them to him. "Take the charger."

"Thanks," Sean muttered and narrowed his eyes in annoyance before turning on his heal to saunter towards the door, Madeline following close behind.

When the door closed Fiona ran a tired hand over her face and moved towards the couch, slumping down onto it. Her mind was in turmoil and she was torn between elation and pain. So many questions swirled around inside her head and she didn't know what to think any more. Laying her head against the back of the couch she closed her eyes and tried to focus on the child asleep in the smaller bedroom. Her life was about to change and she couldn't help but wonder how different things would have been if she'd brought Caitlin up herself.

The couch dipped beside her and she opened her eyes to turn towards the man sitting next to her. He looked just as tired as she was. His eyes held so much love but she was still guarded when it came to him because he had hurt her too many times.

"You don't have to stay," she told him on a sigh as she turned her eyes away to stare up at the ceiling. "She should sleep until morning."

Michael's eyes flared with worry when her words hit him. Did she really believe that Caitlin was the only reason he was staying? Reaching out a tentative hand he laid his fingers over hers and waited for her to react to his touch before he tried to think of something to say that would reassure her that he really wanted to be here.

"Fi…" he whispered her name and squeezed her fingers when she finally turned to look at him, "I want to stay."

"I told you, it's okay," she sighed. "If she wakes up I'll call you…she—"

"I want to be here for you," he told her, his words breaking through hers.

"Why?" shaking her head she pulled away from his touch and moved towards the edge of the couch. "I know why you're doing this Michael. You spent the last few years trying to get away from me and now you've suddenly changed your mind? I won't stop you seeing her if that's what you're worried about. She's part of you and I'm not going to take that away."

"What?" he asked, his voice drying up in his throat. "You think I'm only here for—"

"Well aren't you?" she snapped. "How many times have I asked you to stay and you always have something else to do…so what…now suddenly you don't have anywhere else you need to be?"

"Fiona…" her name came out on a sigh as he tried desperately to think of something to say that would help to undo years of rejections, but he knew words alone wouldn't win her over this time. Shifting closer he sought out her hand again and forced her to turn towards him. He was willing to tell her whatever she needed to hear for her to trust him again, but nothing could have prepared him for the look of utter devastation in her eyes.

"I keep going over and over it in my head," she told him softly, her voice shaking as she spoke. "When I called my mother to let her know I was going home she seemed…relieved. I haven't spoken to her in so many years and then there she was suddenly acting like nothing had happened."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there, Fi," Michael's voice lowered into a whisper as he fought the feelings of regret away from his mind. "I never meant to hurt you…"

"Yet, you keep doing it," shaking her head she pulled her hand away from his grasp and stood up to move away from him. "You left me in Ireland and you left me here…I think I've finally realised why…"

"Fiona, it's not—"

She turned to face him, her eyes wet with unshed tears. "When we met you were pretending to be someone else and it's taken me a long time to understand that it was him who wanted to be with me, not you…" swallowing hard she shook her head to stop him from speaking. "I need to say this Michael…"

"Whatever it is you think you know—"

"Caitlin's finally back with me," she told him, her voice sounding calmer than she actually felt. "Michael isn't ever coming back to me and that's okay…it's time I…let him go…"

Michael couldn't believe what he was hearing. Yes he had been masquerading as someone else when he'd met her, but it was Michael Westen, not Michael McBride who had fallen in love with her. "I'm still here," he told her softly as he took hold of her arms to turn her around. "I haven't gone anywhere."

"Yes you have," she whispered brokenly. "Ever since I came here all you've wanted to do is leave, but I understand it now…and it's okay…because it was never _you_ who wanted to be with me, it was him, the man you were pretending to be."

"What?" shaking his head he stepped closer towards her and gripped her shoulders. How could she possibly think that he didn't want her?

"He is me…" he ground out the words, forcing her to listen to what he was saying. "It was me who wanted to be with you…_me_…Michael McBride was just a name, that's all…Just a name…"

Fiona's eyes flooded with tears when she looked up into his emotion filled gaze. His face was flushed and he was close to losing his own tenuous control but she didn't think she could trust her own voice to not break if she spoke, so she kept silent.

"I have always wanted to be with you, I just didn't realise how much until O'Neill came to take you from me." Moving closer he encased her face in the palm of his hands and stroked her cheek with his thumb. "I have never wanted to be with anyone else."

"If Caitlin wasn't here—"

"I would still want to be with you," he told her as he moved in closer, his lips hovering over hers. "I can't lose you, Fi…"

Fiona's breath caught in her throat when he closed the distance between them to capture her lips in a soft, chaste kiss. The touch ignited something deep down inside Fiona's heart, bringing a warm flush to her whole body as she moved closer, his presence drawing her towards him.

"This is me," he whispered as he lingered above her lips to press another soft kiss onto her mouth before drawing away again. "I've always been the only one to kiss you…_me_…not an old cover ID…"

"I…" she managed before losing the power of speech as he dominated her senses. Her eyes fluttered closed with the sensations he was enticing throughout her entire body and she felt herself tremble when he moved his other hand up to cup her face in his soft grasp.

"Michael…" she whispered, opening her eyes to meet his again, their intense gaze drowning her in sweet surrender as she gravitated slowly towards him.

Michael didn't know what was happening to him. Never before in his life had he felt so reckless or wanted a woman as badly as he did her. She had taken his heart from him so long ago and it hadn't taken him long to figure out that he'd needed her as much as he'd needed to breathe. He was so close now, close enough to feel her warm breath on his lips, all he had to do was inch just a little closer and he could seal them together.

Their lips grazed gently, casting the tiny seeds of doubt away as they came together, touching briefly to leave a promise of so much more. They found each other's eyes, seeking their closeness as they once again gravitated together, needing this sweet release as their lips touched again.

Michael's fingers traced the length of her back, up towards her shoulder blades and back down again, burying themselves inside the waistband of her jeans.

Fiona sighed into his mouth as he tugged her closer, opening her mouth to him, deepening their kiss as her own fingers began an exploration of their own. One of her hands journeyed up towards his hair, entangling her fingers into the soft strands as they came together in a blinding intoxicating kiss.

Michael pulled his mouth from hers to trail kisses over her cheek before moving upwards to kiss her eyes.

"Fi…" he whispered as he kissed her forehead briefly only to kiss his way back down her face again to place one last kiss onto her lips before pulling away to gaze down into her eyes.

She moved against him to slide the palm of her hand up and over his shoulder until she reached his face. His warmth sent sparks of love throughout her body as she cradled his cheek in the palm of her hand. She may have fallen in love with Michael McBride but it was Michael Westen who was standing before her. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she allowed her gaze to travel over his features and realised that she couldn't ever stop loving him, no matter which name he used.

His eyes closed with her touch, his face leaning into her palm as her warmth seeped into his skin. Opening his eyes again he gazed into hers, conveying everything to her in that one simple gaze. Suddenly feeling incredibly tired she untangled herself from him to sit down on the couch, watching him when he followed to come and sit down beside her.

"I'm sorry I hurt you," he said softly as he reached a hand over towards hers, touching her briefly to draw her eyes to his. "I don't know why I pushed you away from me for so many years. I can't give you all the answers you need, but I…" he stopped and looked down at their intertwined fingers.

"It's okay," she whispered. "It doesn't matter…"

Lifting his arm, he manoeuvred himself deeper into the couch and waited for her to lay against him. When she found a comfortable position he lowered his arm and skimmed his fingertips over her shoulder before inclining his head to place a kiss into her hair.

"Sam's coming over in the morning," he told her, his voice whispering into her hair.

"Yeah?" she chuckled as she spread her fingers over his stomach. "I wonder what he'll make of her."

"If you're worried about how he'll react…"

"No," she sighed against him. "Not anymore."

Michael drew patters on her skin with his fingers as he thought about what Sean had told him earlier. He knew they had a lot to talk about but he didn't know if she was ready to talk about what had happened to her after he'd left Ireland. Pulling her tighter against him he kissed her hair again and felt her relax against him.

"Sean said you almost died," he told her as he swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. "I wish I'd have known…"

Fiona's eyes closed against the memories that burned garbled images into her mind. She couldn't remember a lot about Caitlin's birth, but sometimes in the quiet moments when she didn't allow herself to think they snuck in to fill her with the pain of that night.

"I wanted you," she whispered against him, her words muffled as she turned her face into his chest. "I was so scared and I wanted you."

Her words caused a jolt of pain to course through his heart. He had failed her on so many levels and created so much pain when all he had wanted to do was stay by her side. Pulling her against him he wrapped both arms around her body and swallowed against his own tremulous emotions that were threatening to overflow.

"I'm so sorry," he told her over and over, knowing that no matter how many times he spoke the words that nothing would take away the last few years.

He felt her move against him as she pulled out of his arms to lean up against the couch so that she could look down into his eyes. Lifting her hand she slid her palm over his chin and turned his face towards her.

Michael's eyes opened with her touch and he found himself gazing up into her tear filled eyes. He wanted to tell her he loved her but the words seemed so insignificant against the well of feelings that were rampaging around inside him. Wordlessly he closed the distance between them to capture her lips in a soft kiss that conveyed everything he was feeling into one simple touch.

When he pulled away his eyes roamed her face in wonder, as if his whole body had finally woken up to the beautiful woman beside him. His gaze drifted from her eyes, to her flushed face before coming to settle on her lips. Taking a deep breath he spoke softly, hoping that the words would come out right. "I want to be here for both of you," he told her in a whisper, watching her eyes as he spoke, "if you'll let me."

Before she could answer, the front door opened to reveal a very disgruntled Sean Glenanne who stumbled inside muttering obscenities under his breath.

"I tell ya Michael. Your mother is—" his words stopped abruptly when he caught sight of his sister on the couch entangled in her boyfriend's arms.

"Sean," Fiona sighed as she moved away from Michael to get up from the couch to straighten her clothes. "We're going to bed but try and be quiet when you're ranting about Madeline okay…Caitlin's asleep."

Michael shifted forward and got up to stand beside his girlfriend before he turned a cautious eye on Fiona's older brother. He was trying to think of something to say but when Fiona tugged on his hand he nodded a goodnight to the other man in the room before she led him away from the knowing eyes of Sean Glenanne.

When they had both disappeared, Sean shook his head and released a long sigh before making his way towards Fiona's fridge to pull out a bottle of beer.

"Yer lucky I like ya McBride," he muttered to no one in particular as he popped the cap off the bottle and lifted it to his lips. Glancing around his sister's small room he sighed heavily and grabbed a magazine off of the counter that Michael's mother had brought in with her. He sighed as he scanned the front cover of the woman's magazine, praying that Seamus would wake up and keep him company before he lost his mind.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you for all of your reviews, PM's and Favourite story and author adds. I haven't had a lot of time to be online to thank everyone personally or read some of the new stories that have been posted. I'm hoping to have some time this weekend to catch up.**

**I apologise in advance for falling into a fluff puddle with this chapter. My neighbour is heavily pregnant and ready to deliver any time now so I've been spending a lot of time with her and becoming slightly broody…but only slightly!**

**Thanks as always to my lovely friends Purdy's pal, DaisyDay, Jedi Skysinger and Haunted-Eternity for reading through parts of this and for the insights, suggestions and more importantly the laughter.**

6

Soft moonlight filtered through the partially open blinds to bathe the couple in the bed in streaks of radiance. Fiona sighed heavily as she wrapped her arm around Michael's torso, pulling her body closer to him. Moving her head onto his chest she listened to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, content to wrap herself in his warmth for as long as she could.

"You awake?" he asked softly as he looked down towards the top of her head.

Fiona's lips upturned into a warm smile and she shifted slightly, lifting her head to look up into his eyes. "I can't sleep."

"Me either," he sighed, pulling her closer to him as he spoke. Her warmth seeped through his skin to caress his body and fill him with an enormous sense of peace. His fingers danced over her skin, gliding up her shoulders until he reached the silken strands of her hair, absentmindedly combing his fingertips through, all the while trying to process the events of the day.

Fiona let a contented sigh escape her lips and snuggled in closer to his chest. "Do you think she'll like it here?"

His hands stilled in her hair, her question sparking off his own worries concerning the little girl who occupied the next room. Lifting his shoulders slightly he inclined his head to kiss her hair before laying back down into the pillow. "She'll settle down, Fi."

"I hope so," she sighed as she looked up at him only to return her head to his chest and wrap her arms around him, hugging him tighter for a moment before she relaxed her arms.

"We'll all be fine," he told her reassuringly when he moved his other arm to her shoulders, surrounding her in his embrace as he buried his lips in her hair.

Fiona closed her eyes tightly fighting against the burning tears that had suddenly gathered there. "I'm still waiting for her to realise she has to stay here…Michael…what if she hates me…what…"

"Fiona," he sighed softly before moving a finger beneath her chin to lift her face. When their eyes met in the darkness he could see the sparkling sheen of tears inside her eyes, and still the power of her emotions managed to break his heart. Leaning down, he pressed a soft kiss onto her lips hoping that the gentle touch would banish the tiny ebbs of fear away from her. Feeling her relax beside him, he encompassed her in his embrace letting her seek refuge in his warmth. He hoped she understood by now that everything he had to give was hers, and nothing would change that.

Fiona's hand slid along his upper body, her fingers scraping enticingly over his bare chest. Moving off of him slightly, she adjusted her weight and pressed an elbow into the soft mattress to lift herself up. She could feel the burning heat rising up inside her body by just being near him, something that she had never been able to control.

She drank in the sight of him, her eyes memorising every inch of his bare torso. Needing to touch him, her fingertips grazed his skin to trail a path all the way up until she reached his face. She lifted herself up higher, putting all weight on her elbow so that she should gaze down at him.

His eyes met hers and in that one moment she understood everything. The past was gone, Michael McBride had faded away to leave the man beneath her in his place, and she knew then that memories from the past could no longer hurt her.

"What did I ever do to deserve you?" he asked softly as he lifted his fingers to tuck some stray strands of hair behind her ear. "After everything we've been through…"

"Shh," she whispered, silencing him with a long hard kiss that left him gasping her name when she pulled away to gaze down at him. "It won't be long before she's awake again," she whispered, as her nimble fingers began edging their way inside his pyjama pants. "Do you really want to waste time, talking?"

Michael gasped when her fingers slipped beneath the waistband to capture him in her hand. Unable to form coherent words, all he could do was shake his head and sink down lower onto the bed as he lost himself in her.

000

A few hours later Fiona's eyes snapped open when she heard a noise coming from the kitchen. Instinctively she reached for her gun until she heard her brother's voice. Blinking the sunlight from her eyes she slid her hand across the mattress expecting to find Michael's warm body but all she was met with was empty space.

Sitting up she looked around the bedroom in search of her robe. Michael was up already and by the sounds of it so was their daughter. Slipping her legs out from under the covers she grabbed some underwear out of her draw and slipped them on before grabbing her robe from the chair. Part of her was still a little afraid that Caitlin would resent her for making her stay here, but when she heard her unmistakable laughter she felt herself relax a little. Standing up she tied the belt tightly around her waist and slowly made her way towards the bedroom door.

Stepping out into the small hall she moved towards the loud chatter and leaned against the doorframe to watch Caitlin and Michael make a mess of the kitchen. Shaking her head she held a hand over her mouth to stop a chuckle escaping when she caught sight of the batter mix over Caitlin's face. By the look of it Michael's great idea of teaching his daughter how to cook pancakes wasn't going according to his plan.

For a moment she watched them silently, her heart melting with the sight before her. Michael was a strong, passionate man, someone who never let anyone but her see his softer side. To see him now being totally dominated by a four year old was too much and a soft snort escaped before she had a chance to stop it.

Caitlin's head shot up and she beamed a big toothy smile towards her as she stood up on the chair to lift up her messy hands.

"Look at me mammy, I'm cookin'."

"I can see," Fiona told her as she stepped further into the room to come and stand beside her very dishevelled looking boyfriend and leant her head against his arm. "So what are you making?"

"Pancakes," Caitlin beamed. "Yer silly mammy…"

"I think you've got more mixture on yourself than you have in the bowl," Fiona chuckled softly before she lifted her eyes to see her two brothers sitting on the couch pretending not to notice how domesticated she had become.

"Yer gone soft, sis," Seamus teased from behind his mug of tea. "An' yer fella can't make a decent cuppa tea…"

"Ah…no use raggin' at har Seamus, she's too far gone!"

"HEY!" Fiona growled indignantly as she shot them both a mock glare. "I am not now, or have I ever been, soft!"

"Yeah yeah, keep tellin' yerself tha' sis," Sean laughed, shaking his head before he returned back to the woman's magazine that he'd already read three times.

"Well would ya looka a tha'," Fiona teased in her own accent. "Ya readin' tha lonely hearts…it ain't me tha's gone soft Sean!"

Sean shot her a glare before he returned his eyes back onto the page he'd been reading and ignored her soft laughter. He had to admit, it was good to see her smile again, and she deserved to be happy after everything that had happened.

"Daddy," Caitlin's voice brought her attention back to her new family and she couldn't help but feel elated when Michael turned his full attention on the little girl. "Can we get some sunny glasses today?"

Michael seemed to melt before Fiona's eyes and she couldn't ever remember seeing this side of him before. She saw a smile blossom over his face as he nodded, only to be rewarded with their daughter throwing her arms around him.

"Why don't you go with your mom and get cleaned up and I'll straighten the mess out here?" Michael told her as he lifted her from the stool to hold her against him. "Then we'll go and get some things from the store."

Stepping forward Fiona shot Michael a scowl and ran her fingers over Caitlin's hair. "Come on sweetie, you can wear one of your new dresses to show UncleSam when he gets here."

"Tha pink one?" Caitlin gasped excitedly as she hugged her father tighter. "Can we go see nana too?"

"Sure," Michael told her, knowing he was defenceless against this little girl. "We'll stop by hers on the way back."

"Okay," she beamed and squeezed him again before he set her down onto the floor.

Rushing towards her mother she grabbed hold of her hand and led her towards her bedroom, chattering as she went.

When they had disappeared from sight, Michael finally allowed himself to breathe. Caitlin had only been with them for just over twenty four hours, but she had rushed into his life like a tornado. His whole balance had been shifted along with his priorities, and he was finding it increasingly difficult to remember how life was before she rampaged through his heart. Moving towards the mess they had made together, he couldn't help but feel the warring emotions that seemed to swirl around inside him.

These feelings went against all of his training. He had moved through life purposely closing himself off from everyone. He'd never allowed himself to ever believe he would be this happy because with happiness there came a price, and in the end he had always questioned whether this kind of life was what he really wanted.

Up until yesterday he had been content with what he shared with Fiona. They fit together in so many ways, personally as well as professionally. Their daughter was just another part of their lives, slotting in between them like a perfect puzzle piece. They were parents, and even though he'd always thought that he didn't know how to be anything else but a spy, Caitlin had shown him that he could be a father too.

"Ya okay over thare McBride?" Sean asked him with a teasing smirk. "Ya look a little shell shocked so ya do!"

Shaking his head Michael chuckled softly as he cleaned up the mess. "I'm fine, Sean."

"Sure ya are," the Irish man laughed. "Now ya get ta live wit' two a tha Glenanne women, jus' be thankful yer not Pat…wit' tha babby back wit har ma, Marie want's a babby girl. All tha kids a boys, Caitlin wa' tha only girl!"

Michael's hands stilled and he looked over at Fiona's two brothers questioningly. Something just didn't seem to add up but he couldn't put his finger on what it was. Ever since Fiona had told him she was leaving he'd had an uneasy feeling, and it wasn't until Sean arrived to tell them that O'Neill was on his way to kill her that he began to ask questions.

"Sean, did your mother tell anyone about Fiona going home?" he asked as he wiped his hands on a towel and walked back into the main room to perch on one of the chairs. "Fi said she hadn't spoken to your mother for years, and I don't know about your mom, but if it was mine, she wouldn't tell anyone just in case it got out."

"Tha's tha thing," Sean nodded. "Ma swears she didn' tell anyone outside tha family about Fi comin' home."

"I can vouch fer har," Seamus nodded. "Marie wa' thare an' she swore har to secrecy."

"Marie?" Michael asked. "Pat's wife?"

"Ya, Pat's missus…" Sean's voice slowly died away as he lifted his eyes to meet the man before him. "Ya don' think—"

"I don't know the woman," Michael told him as he stood up and held his hands in the air. "All we know is that O'Neill found Fi when her other enemies haven't."

"Marie wanted ta adopt Caitlin when Fi didn' come back," Seamus sat up a little straighter and lowered his eyes to the floor. "I overheard har arguing wit' Pat abou' it. He wa' makin' arrangements wit' Sean ta get har outta Ireland and she told him she wanted ta adopt har…ya know, to stop folks askin' too many questions."

"Marie?" Sean asked, shaking his head in disbelief. "Pat wouldn' do tha' ta Fi."

"It wa' har idea ta keep tha babby in Ireland so tha Fi could leave," Seamus shrugged. "She wa' close ta ma befer Fi left."

"Ya think Marie planned ta take Fiona's babby?" Sean shook his head. "pa' wouldn' let tha happen…"

"He di' though," Seamus told him. "He wa' waitin' fer Fi when she got back from tha job ta get har tickets outta Ireland…he stood thar wit' ma an' told har it wa' tha only way fer har."

Sean threw the magazine onto the couch and stood up. Running a hand over his face he looked down at his brother in disdain. "Why did ya never say anythin' befer?"

"Ya never asked, an after Fi left ya all acted like she wa' never thare…"

Michael sighed heavily and stood up, turning his back on them as he tried to formulate a plan in his mind. Turning back around he looked towards Sean and then Seamus before he tentatively edged forward. "Did she let you take Caitlin?"

"Ya she—"

"No," Seamus stood up and cut through his brother's words. "She didn' want ta let har leave, she said it wa too dangerous fer har ta be away from home…an' tha' Fiona didn't know har."

"Caitlin said Marie always told her that she would be living with us one day," Michael shook his head in confusion. "Why would she tell her that if she wanted to keep her?"

"I don' know wha' ta tell ya, Michael," Sean sighed. "I'll call Pat an' ask."

"Not yet," Michael told him quickly as he cast a look behind him when he heard the shower shut off. "I don't want Fi to worry any more than she has to. She's already scared Caitlin won't want to stay."

"Are ya kiddin' me?" Sean asked incredulously. "Tha's all she could talk abou' on tha way here…she's a good kid, she'll be okay."

"I know," Michael nodded. "But until we know for definite, keep it quiet okay, and if it comes to it I'll tell her."

"McBride—"

"Sean," Michael's voice sliced through Sean's indicating that there was no discussion on this. "You said it yourself; you stood by and watched it happen. It's my job to take care of her and our daughter, so if there's anything she needs to know, then I'll be the one to tell her, okay."

"Okay," Sean sighed dubiously. "But if ya can't handle it let us know an' we'll do yer work fer ya!"

"I'll handle it just fine," Michael snapped back, his face a mask of pure determination. "You just handle your own family and I'll take care of mine."

The second Caitlin came back into the room, the scowl fell away from Michael's face when he turned to look at her. She was beautiful, a double of her mother in every way except with darker hair. Holding out his hand to her she jumped towards him and clung to his hand, swinging back and forth.

"Do ya like me dress?" she beamed, letting go of his hand so she could spin around only to bump into his leg when she got dizzy.

"It's… nice," he told her with a smile, not really knowing the right thing to say. This was a whole totally new experience to him and being thrust into fatherhood with an almost five year old was like being thrown into the deep end of the pool.

Caitlin grabbed hold of his fingers again and swung their hands back and forth, giggling hysterically when he lifted her up onto his hip.

"Let's go and find your mom," he told her when she slipped her small arms around his neck. "We'll tell her we're going out."

"Okay," she beamed, holding onto him tightly as she pressed her cheek against his only to pull away again. Her fingers touched his unshaven cheek, causing her to break out into a fit of giggles. "Ya face is all scratchy…"

"Is it?" he grinned, totally besotted by the little girl in his arms. Leaning closer he scraped the stubble against the palm of her hand, delighted with her laughter as he felt all of his fears melting away.

Fiona was straightening out the bed when the two of them came into the room. Turning around she granted both of them a wide smile before she came towards them.

"Daddy an' me are goin' out ta see nana," Caitlin told her brightly.

"Are you now?" Fiona asked incredulously as she ran a finger over her daughter's cheek. "I expect both of you back before Uncle Sam gets here."

"We'll be back," Michael promised, a grin spreading across his face when Caitlin rested her cheek against his.

Fiona shook her head and couldn't help but smile when two sets of identical blue eyes looked at her with the same facial expressions.

"You can tell your dad what food you like to eat while you're out," she told her daughter warmly before she cast a gaze towards the man she loved. "I'll see you both later."

Michael watched her for a few moments before he saw a flare of sadness in her eyes. He knew she was still trying to get used to this new way of life just as much as he was, and it was that spark of vulnerability that made his mind up there and then.

"Why don't you come with us?" he suggested. "I'll call Sam and ask him to meet us at my mom's."

"I can't just leave Sean and Seamus here alone," Fiona sighed as she stroked a finger over her daughter's cheek. "They came a long way to bring her back to us. The least I can do is spend some time with them."

"It'll only be for a couple of hours Fi," Michael told her quietly when Caitlin's fingers fiddled with her mother's beads on her wrist.

Fiona's eyes drifted over the two people standing before her. Michael was watching her with a look of hope in his eyes and she couldn't help but wonder if it was more of a look of desperation. She knew he was terrified of commitment, and there was nothing more committing than having a child that depends on you.

"Okay," she told him with a smile when she watched a look of relief flood his eyes. "Let me break the news to the boys and I'll be right there."

"Can we go ta tha beach with nana?" Caitlin asked her suddenly when she pulled her hands away from her mother's bracelets.

"Well maybe we can go when your uncles have gone home," Fiona told her cautiously, part of her still a little afraid of the inevitable fallout when Caitlin realised her two Irish uncles were returning to Ireland.

"Okay," Caitlin told her with a bright smile. "Can we get some ice cream?"

"I think that's a good idea," Fiona smiled. "Why don't you go and find something to take with you and your dad can help me take some things to the car."

"Okay," Caitlin beamed excitedly as Michael lowered her to the floor. Grabbing hold of her father's hand she looked up at him adoringly as she leaned against his leg. "I'm gonna take me book fer nana ta read."

Michael's lips turned upwards into a wide smile when he watched her release his hand to run out of the bedroom.

Fiona's heart ached and she couldn't quite put a finger on the reason why. This still felt like some surreal dream that filled her with apprehension as much as happiness. She wasn't used to being this happy…there was always something just around the corner to rip it all away from her.

"Are you okay, Fi?" Michael asked her when he saw the spark of apprehension in her eyes. When she didn't answer he stepped closer and ran his fingers over her bare shoulder as her eyes slowly lifted to his.

"I don't know," she told him honestly. "Are _you_ okay?"

For a moment he regarded her thoughtfully before a slow smile lifted his lips. No he was far from alright but the reality of this situation was beginning to grow on him. "I'm…getting there…"

"I'm glad one of us is," she sighed softly as she turned away from him to pull a pair of shoes out of the closet.

"Fi…"

"I'm fine…I…" sitting on the bed she turned to look up at him, noting the concern in his eyes. "I don't want to get…too…comfortable…"

"What? Fi, I don't—"

"You Westen's have a habit of leaving," she told him quickly, her voice catching in her throat. "I lost everyone…my family, Caitlin, Claire…" Lifting her eyes up to his she swallowed heavily, "…you."

Her words caused his heart to lurch inside his chest and he suddenly realised that the damage he'd caused all those years ago when he left her behind was still eating away at her. Moving towards her he reached out to take her hands in his and pulled her up to stand before him.

"You haven't lost me," he told her reassuringly. "Not then, and not now."

"I'm just…"

"I know," he told her softly as he pulled her into his arms and held her against him. "Me too."

The sound of Caitlin's sandals clicking on the wooden floors caused them to pull apart, both of them feeling strangely odd about the whole situation. Michael looked down at his daughter with a bright smile, something he'd been doing a lot of since yesterday, and moved towards her.

"I'm takin' me new book," Caitlin announced with a beaming smile. "Ya think nana will read it ta me?"

"I'm sure she will," he told her quickly before he cast a glance back at Fiona who was still standing in the same spot. So much had happened in such a short time that sometimes he couldn't quite believe it himself. He was a burned spy with absolutely no security and no protection from his former occupation, and Fiona was living in the US illegally. The whole situation was just bizarre.

"Did you want to take anything else?" Fiona asked her softly when she pushed her worries away. "Your doll?"

"Nope," Caitlin grinned as she grasped hold of her father's hand again. "Can we go an' see nana now?"

Michael nodded numbly when his daughter let go of his hand to run off calling Seamus's' name. Shaking his head he turned to Fiona who came to stand by his side and placed her hand on his shoulder. "This means you have to spend more time with your mom," she teased as she pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.

"Don't even joke about that," he told her with a mock glare that soon faded away when he heard Caitlin calling his name.

"Your daughter is calling you," Fiona chuckled. "Don't keep her waiting!"

Michael shook his head and smiled when he left the room, leaving Fiona to take one last look around the bedroom. Grabbing her bag from the closet she threw it onto the bed before reaching up to the top shelf to pull her SIG from beneath some boxes. Looking down at it she pulled the clip to make sure she had enough rounds before sliding it back in place and tossing it in her bag along with her sunscreen and lipstick. She wasn't going to take any chances when it came to Caitlin. No one was going to take her away again.

Walking out into the living area she eyed her two brothers who seemed to be watching her every move. She stared at them defiantly until they both averted their eyes and grabbed her gun from the shelf where she's put it yesterday when Caitlin had arrived.

"What?" she asked in annoyance when Sean looked up at her with a smirk on his lips. "Ya got somethin' ta say?"

"Ya takin' ya babby ou' sis, not goin' inta battle!"

Fiona stuffed the gun into her bag before looking around her for anything else she might need. Turning back she fixed Sean with a steely gaze and stepped closer towards him, her Irish tone slipping into her words. "I may have me babby back but I'm still a Glenanne. No one is gonna be takin' har away from me again…not without me blowin' thar head off, ya got tha'?"

"Got it," Sean nodded quickly, knowing that a pissed off Fiona was a force to be reckoned with.

"Wha' abou' you Seamus?" she challenged. "Ya got anythin' ta say ta me?"

"Uh…no," he shook his head and sat back further into his seat.

"Good, now, I'm going out," she told them, her accent once again back to American. "Make a mess you clean it."

Both men nodded vigorously when she left, leaving them totally dazed when she walked out of the door…

000

"So you gonna tell me what the big occasion is Maddie?" Sam asked when he pulled a bottle of beer out of the fridge. "I mean, last night I turned up at the loft and there's no sign of either of em…then I call Mikey who's tellin' me to meet him at Fi's and then this morning he called and told me to meet him here…so what's the deal?"

"I don't know what to tell you, Sam," she lied as she lifted another cigarette to her lips. "We'll know when they get here."

Sam eyed her suspiciously when she lit her cigarette. He'd know Madeline for a long time and he could always tell when she was keepi9ng things from him. She had a gleam in her eyes that told him she knew exactly what was going on but to his immense dismay he realised that she wasn't going to give anything away.

"Well somethin' is goin' on," he told her when he watched her blow a plume of smoke into the air. "You can't tell me ya haven't noticed."

"What are you talking about Sam?" Madeline asked as she held her hand out to waft the smoke away from her. "You worry too much."

"Oh come on Maddie, even you know Mike's never been this…_clingy!_"

"Clingy?" Madeline asked incredulously. Shaking her head in amusement she tried to imagine what Michael's reaction would be to his friend's choice of words.

"Yeah ya know…not wantin' to leave Fi…and I get it, he almost lost her an' all, it's his wake up call…I just get an uneasy feelin' when they're gettin' too cosy...I usually end up in the crossfire and it never ends well."

"Stop worrying Sam," Madeline told him nonchalantly. "Michael and Fiona are fine."

"I know they're okay, Maddie, that's not what I'm sayin'…" Sighing heavily Sam lifted his bottle to his lips but stopped midway when a sudden thought crossed his mind. "Hey…you don't think he's gone and married her do ya? I mean, I'm all for the two of 'em workin' things out, but seriously…"

"Sam, they're not getting married," Madeline told him with a smile when she heard the unmistakable roar of the charger's engine outside.

"You know don't ya?" he asked incredulously. "You've been holding out on me Maddie, now that ain't fair!"

Shooting him a mock glare she quickly took another drag of her cigarette and blew the smoke out before stubbing the end into her ashtray.

Sam watched her in confusion when she picked up the ashtray and took it into the kitchen just as the front door opened. Turning around ready to greet his friend's, Sam's eyes suddenly grew wide when a little girl came charging through the door pulling Fiona behind her.

"Nana…" she called before turning around to take the flowers from her mother's other hand.

Madeline stepped out from the kitchen and beamed a smile at the little girl, holding out her arms instantly. "Hey baby."

Sam's voice died in his throat as he looked from his beer bottle and back towards Fiona in confusion. Shaking his head he put the bottle down onto the table and was about to ask Fiona what the hell was going on when the door opened again to reveal Michael carrying a grocery bag.

"Sam, close your mouth you're causing a draft," Fiona told him with a wide smile.

"What?" he stammered as he looked back towards the little girl who was helping Madeline put flowers into a vase.

Michael closed the door behind him and placed the grocery bag onto the table before coming to stand beside Fiona. Glancing back to the ex Navy Seal, a slow smile lifted his lips when he saw Sam's eyes widening with every passing second.

"Sam, are you okay?" he asked with a wide grin before shaking his head as he squeezed Fiona's shoulder. "I should really head to the loft before we head back and pick up some clean clothes."

"Okay," Fiona told him quietly when she turned around to meet his eyes but diverted her attention to the older man who was growing paler by the second. "Sam?"

"Wait a minute…" lifting his hand he gestured to the dark haired girl before his mouth slowly hung open in shock. "Is she…are you…"

Shaking her head, Fiona couldn't hide the laughter when she saw the answer to his own question slowly dawning in the older man's eyes. Part of her was enjoying his slow torment but when Caitlin caught her attention and beamed a big smile at her she knew her daughter would effectively give the game away any second.

"Mammy look at nana's flowers."

Sam gasped in a breath and looked from Fiona to Michael, his mouth dropping open again. Shaking her head, Fiona patted Michael's arm and nodded towards Sam, indicating for him to try and offer him some kind of explanation before she introduced them properly.

"They're just like the ones you brought for me," she told Caitlin with a smile as she moved towards her and Madeline.

"Did you buy your mommy some flowers yesterday too?" Madeline asked her, her voice unable to hide the happiness she felt. "What colour did you buy?"

"I got pink ones," Caitlin told her proudly as she turned towards her mother. "Didn't I mammy?"

"You did," Fiona told her with a wide smile as she quickly glanced behind her to see Sam shaking his head in disbelief. Reaching out to lay a hand on Caitlin's head, she brought the little girls attention back to her. "Sweetie, come and say hello to Uncle Sam."

Caitlin looked up at her mother questioningly before looking around her at the man in the bright coloured shirt who was standing next to her father. Suddenly shy, she leaned against Fiona's leg before propelling herself forward towards the younger of the two men.

Michael held his arms open for her and scooped her up to hold her against his hip and stepped towards his stunned friend…

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you to everyone for your reviews, PM's, favourite story and author adds. I really do appreciate every one of your comments.**

**Huge thanks as always to my lovely friend's Purdy's Pal, Daisyday and Jedi Skysinger for reading through parts of this. **

7

Sam stared at the man opposite him in stunned silence. His mind was still trying to process everything that had happened in the last few minutes, but every time he tried to make sense of the situation he ended up more confused than before.

"How…" he managed before his mind froze again. "Huh…?"

In all the time he'd known Michael he'd never once mentioned that he had a daughter and neither had Fiona. As far as he'd always been led to believe, their relationship had been rocky at best when they first met.

Just recently he'd witnessed the moments when they were united and solid but over the last few months their relationship had been volatile. He'd lost count how many times Fiona had been angry at Michael. She'd made no secret that she didn't want him to work for the government, and that had been the main instigator in their conflicts, but now here they were acting like a perfect family unit, and he had to wonder when the inevitable explosion was going to happen.

Sam eyed the little girl and tried to find any kind of explanation that would shed some light on all of the questions that were swirling around inside his mind. He couldn't ever remember a time when he'd witnessed the sheer contentment in his friend's eyes. Michael had always been so serious and so guarded, but now he portrayed the visage of a very happy man. Opening his mouth to try to formulate a question, he closed it again when he saw his friend's face merge into one big smile.

"Caitlin," Michael looked at the child in his arms and nodded towards the man who was staring at them. "Are you going to say hi?"

Caitlin wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pressed her face against his before she smiled shyly. Moving her face away from her father's she eyed the older man who couldn't take his eyes off of her before she muttered a shy, "Hello."

"Uh…" Sam's words seemed to stick in his throat as he suddenly noticed the resemblance between his friend and the little girl he was holding. There was something about her deep blue eyes and the expression she held that caused him to draw in a ragged breath before he stepped closer towards them. "Hi…"

"Daddy brought me sunny glasses," Caitlin told him shyly as she leaned into her father again so that they were cheek to cheek.

Sam's mouth opened and closed before he finally shook himself out of the shock that was stopping his brain from working. "Your dad…"

"Yep," she told him with a bright smile.

Sam couldn't seem to make his mouth work. Here he was in the presence of a child who had the same eyes as Michael and he couldn't seem to say anything else.

Fiona was watching the exchange with barely contained amusement. For a man who had always boasted to have a certain way with the ladies, he was failing miserably. Shaking her head she sighed and made her way towards him to lay a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "If it's any consolation Sam, her father reacted the same way!"

Turning from her sharply, Sam's eyes widened as he looked back towards Michael and lifted a hand, gesturing towards his friend. His eyes clouded in confusion until Fiona squeezed his shoulder and nodded towards Michael when he placed Caitlin back onto the floor.

"That would be me," Michael grinned, "if you were wondering."

"I uh…kinda got that," Sam told him with a scowl as he stepped forward to hold his hand out to shake Caitlin's fingers. "Well hi there li'l darlin', you're a cutie aren't ya?"

Caitlin smiled up at him when she pulled her hand away to move backwards to lean against Michael's legs. The smile on her face widened as she inclined her head back when his hands came down to rest on her head.

"Daddy…" she giggled, lifting her hand to his on her head to pull it to rest on her shoulder. Keeping their fingers joined she glanced back up at Sam and offered him a toothy grin.

"Are ya going ta tha beach too?"

Sam looked at her in confusion before he shook his head slowly, wondering why she'd asked. "No, I haven't been to the beach for a while."

"Mammy said I can go ta tha beach wit' nana soon," Caitlin told him excitedly as she moved away from her father's legs to step in front of Sam, bouncing up and down. "Do ya want ta come?"

Sam couldn't seem to stop the smile that formed on his lips when the little girl beamed up at him. She had an infectious smile that melted away every ounce of shock that had encompassed him only moments ago. "Maybe I could come with ya for a while."

Caitlin moved a little closer and looked up at him. His smile caused her to grin at him as she rocked back and forth on her heels. "We're goin' ta have ice-cream."

"Really?" Sam asked. For some reason he'd imagined any child of Michael's to favour frozen yoghurt. Glancing up to Michael's besotted face he couldn't help but smile down at the child standing before him. "Ice cream huh?"

"Yep," she grinned, moving even closer. "Do ya like me dress?" she asked as she looked down at herself. "It's pink."

Sam couldn't help but fall for this little girls charms. When she gazed up at him with bright blue eyes and a big wide smile he could already feel himself melt a little more.

"You like pink?" he asked as he reached down to pat her head gently." Nothing like your mom I see!"

"Hey," Fiona mock scolded when swatted his arm playfully. Looking down at Caitlin she felt herself falling more in love with her daughter when she looked up to cast her a big smile.

"Mammy, Uncle Sam's comin' ta tha beach too," she beamed. "Can we go today? Pleeeease…"

"Don't you want to go home and spend some time with your uncle's before they come and stay with your nana?" Fiona asked her cautiously. "They'll be going back to Ireland soon."

Caitlin stopped and looked up at her for moment and for a few seconds Fiona could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Was this going to be the moment when her daughter would finally realise she was staying here without them. Lifting her eyes she met Michael's concerned gaze and swallowed heavily before dropping her eyes back to Caitlin's smiling face.

"After?" Caitlin asked quickly when she jumped towards her mother and held onto her hands, bouncing up and down. "Please mammy?"

Fiona took a shaky breath and found herself nodding her head in stunned silence. Caitlin propelled herself forward and hugged her mother's legs before letting go just as quickly to turn back towards Sam.

Moving to stand in front of him again she took his hand and held onto him as she bounced up and down. "Are ya goin' ta come too Uncle Sam? When Uncle Seamus and Uncle Sean go home?"

Sam looked up to Fiona who drew in a sharp breath before she turned away from them. He didn't miss the concern in his friend's eyes when he moved around the table to lay a comforting hand on her shoulder. He had no idea why Fiona reacted the way she had but he knew it had to mean something. Looking down at the little girl holding onto his hand he distracted her quickly before she could turn around.

"I like your dress," he told her. "It's like my shirt."

Caitlin looked up at him and suddenly burst into a fit of giggles. "Yer silly," she told him as she held onto his hand. "Ya got trees on yer top." Looking down at her dress she held the skirt out for him to see. "See…I've got flowers."

"It's real pretty," Sam grinned down at her, feeling more at ease with every passing second. He waited until Fiona left Michael's side to go into the kitchen with Madeline before he squeezed Caitlin's hand. "You look just like your mom."

Caitlin gasped in a breath and smiled brightly when she turned back towards her father who had moved to sit in one of the chairs beside the table. Releasing Sam's hand she clambered towards him and pushed his hands away from his knees so she could pull herself upwards to sit on his lap.

"Uncle Sam's funny," she giggled, putting both of her hands over her mouth.

"You think I'm funny?" Sam grinned, feeling lighter than he had in a long time. "What's your dad been telling ya?"

"Nothing," Michael told him quietly, his voice serious until he saw Sam's eyes spark with delight. "That's not funny, Sam."

"Oh come on Mike, just the look on your face," Sam chuckled. "It's a little funny."

Michael shot him a glare before he glanced back towards the kitchen to see Fiona talking to his mother. Sam followed his gaze and wondered again what had rattled Fiona's cage. She seemed to teetering between elation and fear, but he knew whatever was bothering her was something he wasn't privy to.

Michael was so engrossed in watching Fiona that he didn't hear Caitlin saying his name until she leaned forward to tap his face. His head shot around and he smiled down at her, worry still evident in his eyes.

"Daddy, I need tha bathroom," she told him as she slid down off of his lap. When he didn't move she reached forward to grab his hand. "Dadddddy..."

Michael's mouth opened and closed, sudden fear sparking in his eyes. "I…uh…let's get your mom—"

"Nooo," Caitlin whined. "I want ya ta come."

Sam couldn't hardly contain the laughter that bubbled up inside him. He saw his friend's eyes flare with terror as he started to try and find a way out of the situation.

"What's wrong?" Fiona asked suddenly when she came towards the table and looked from Michael to Caitlin with apprehension.

"I need a wee," Caitlin told her as she pulled her father's hand.

"Okay, come on," Fiona smiled. "Let's—"

"Nooo…I want daddy ta take me…" tugging on his hand again she started bouncing from side to side until he stood up to stand beside her.

Michael glanced helplessly towards his girlfriend, his eyes imploring her to help but she shook her head with a defiant smile. "Just show her where the bathroom is and wait outside the door," she told him. "She can do everything else herself."

Michael glanced up at her dubiously, apprehension filling his eyes when he looked down at his daughter. Nodding his head cautiously he took her hand and led her towards the bathroom, trying to act natural as he smiled down at the little girl who was chattering to him the entire time.

When they'd gone, Sam picked up what was remaining of his beer and downed it in one gulp before breaking out into a wide grin. Shaking his head he knew the image of his friend's terror filled eyes would stay with him for long time. Somehow Michael Westen, spy extraordinaire, was a million miles away from Michael Westen the father.

Sam couldn't ever remember a time when he'd witnessed his best friend become terrified by any situation, but it seemed that taking his daughter on a bathroom break was more than enough to unhinge the once stoic spy.

Glancing back towards the kitchen he could see that Madeline was watching the younger woman beside her with concern. There was something going on here that went deeper than he realised and when the older woman cast him a pleading look he swallowed hard before he moved towards them.

Madeline patted him on the arm before she made some lame excuse about needing to find something in the garage. She looked back towards Fiona worriedly then she made her way outside.

Sam watched after her for a few moments before he turned back around to find Fiona's eyes on him. Usually he would come out with some kind of joke, knowing that she would snap right back, but when he caught the look of complete desolation in her eyes he felt every one of his defences slipping.

"She's a sweet kid," he started, not really knowing what to say. Moving closer beside her he stopped when she turned around to lean against the kitchen counter.

"So," Fiona's voice broke through the silence, causing him to lift his eyes to hers. "I guess you want an explanation?"

"Look Fi…" shaking his head he lifted his hand to stop her from talking. "You don't owe me anything. I gave up questioning you two a long time ago!"

"But aren't you curious?" she asked him suddenly, not sure if she was relieved or offended that he didn't have any questions. "Don't you want to know why I hid her all these years?"

Sam couldn't explain it but the moment she lifted her gaze up to his he was suddenly drawn to her. "I've never cared much about the past…it weigh's ya down…"

"Yeah, it does doesn't it," she sighed sadly as her eyes dropped down to her fingers. "I always wanted her back, but…"

Sam shifted uncomfortably and for one fearful moment he thought she was going to burst into tears. Looking behind him he silently prayed for Michael to come back from the bathroom trip to defuse whatever was going on with his girlfriend, but then a sudden thought struck him.

"Is Mike staying with the two a ya?" he asked her, keeping his voice low as he looked at her. For a few seconds she didn't reply and he wondered if he'd over stepped the mark but when she lifted her eyes to his, whatever he was going to say died on his lips.

"He's staying… for now," she nodded. "I'm not sure for how long…"

"Come on Fi, this is Mike we're talkin' about. He's a lot a things but he ain't about to leave ya."

"He's left me plenty of times Sam," she told him sharply, her eyes sparking with fire. "You really think Caitlin is going to change anything?"

"Now Fi—"

"No Sam…you told me yourself that the second he hears those magic words he's out of here," she told him defensively. "We both know it's only a matter of time."

Sam tried to think of something reassuring to say to her but he knew she was right. Michael wasn't ever going to change despite knowing what he could lose if he left. His eyes drifted over to Fiona's resigned form, knowing that he would never stand by and let her think she had to do this alone.

"I just want ya to know somethin' okay… if Mike ain't around, Maddie an' me will be here to back you up."

His words caused Fiona's breath to hitch in her throat and sudden tears to well in her eyes. She loved her brother's but this man beside her had become so important to her over the years, and she was probably a lot closer to him than she was her own family. Her eyes flooded with emotion but she blinked it away when he suddenly panicked and withdrew his hand. Stepping away from her he shook his head and held up his hands in dismay.

"I didn't mean to upset ya…"

"No, you didn't," she told him with a shaky smile as she patted his arm reassuringly. "That's…good to know Sam…thank you."

"Uh…anytime, Fi." Coughing to hide the lump in his throat, Sam turned away from her and towards the doorway to see Madeline making her way inside. He had no idea where his offer had come from, but he knew that this young woman didn't deserve the harsh treatment that his best friend had delivered to her over the years. Even he was amazed that she'd stuck around for so long.

"She was born in Ireland," Fiona told him suddenly, breaking him out of his thoughts. "By the time I realised I was pregnant Michael had already left..."

"Fi you really don't—"

Shaking her head, Fiona closed her eyes and took another breath. She knew she didn't have to explain herself to anyone; she'd never sought out anyone's approval in the past. Opening her eyes again she sighed heavily when she realised that the older man before her had always treated her with respect, even though at times they'd fought over trivial things. He had always been honest.

"O'Neill was looking for me and I was forced to leave Ireland without Caitlin…it was too dangerous…"

"I get it Fi," Sam told her, trying to sound reassuring even though he was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. "It's okay—"

"It'll never be okay, Sam…" lifting her eyes to his she knew she couldn't hide the sadness that had been welling there since Caitlin had arrived. "He's going to leave and she's going to hate me—"

Her voice broke off when the unmistakable chatter of the little girl who had caused so much chaos came bouncing back into the room. Stepping quickly away from Sam, Fiona drew in a shaky breath and turned away, unwilling to allow anyone to see how deeply this was affecting her.

"It's going to be okay, honey," Madeline told her softly when she came to stand beside her. She could see how much the younger woman was struggling to remain in control, so when she turned back around to plaster a false smile to her face she couldn't help but admire her. She had used that same smile so many years ago when she'd hidden her misery away from prying eyes. Back then she'd had no one to turn to and there was no way she was going to let Fiona go through this alone.

She knew that her son loved the woman standing beside her; she'd witnessed it with her own eyes on more than one occasion. It was just the little gestures he lacked, and those were the things that Fiona longed for the most. She needed to know he was committed and that he wasn't going to run off and pursue his own career to leave her alone with his child. If Michael couldn't see these things on his own then she was going to make damn sure he knew about them.

Standing back she watched on proudly as Fiona moved towards her daughter with such grace that she couldn't help but smile. Whether she believed it or not, Fiona was portraying motherhood so well and there was nothing about her that screamed she didn't know what she was doing.

"Mammy, daddy showed me his old room," Caitlin told her excitedly when she took hold of her hand.

"Yeah?" Fiona asked her with a smile, pushing the impending fear to the back of her mind as she led Caitlin over to the couch and sat down. "Did he show you his old box of models in the closet?"

"Yep," Caitlin grinned, but the smile slipped away when she looked up at her mother seriously, "but thar wasn' any dolls."

Sam was in the process of swallowing down a mouthful of beer when he heard the innocent complaints of his friends' little girl. Swallowing quickly before he choked, he coughed and spluttered as he tried to draw in a deep breath.

"Something wrong Sam?" Michael asked him with a knowing smirk as he turned away from him to sit beside Fiona and Caitlin on the couch. Despite the light heartedness he knew by the way Fiona tried to hide the hurt in her eyes that something was wrong.

The last twenty-four hours had been a rollercoaster for both of him, but he knew this was what Fiona had been dealing with on her own for the last five years. Guilt had found a permanent place in his heart since the time he'd left her alone in their bed, knowing that he wasn't coming back. He didn't even think of what he was doing to her by leaving, all he knew was that the memories of that night had haunted him more than just once.

Reaching behind Caitlin's back he touched Fiona's arm to gain her attention, and when she slowly turned around to face him he knew he had to make her understand that despite the past, he wasn't going to leave her again.

"You okay?" he mouthed, his fingertips tracing a pattern over her bare arm before it came to rest on her shoulder.

His concern brought a burst of hope to Fiona's eyes. She didn't know if she would ever be the same again. With a sigh she nodded her head and offered him what she hoped was a reassuring smile as she leaned her cheek onto his hand. She knew she had to get over this, but after every other part of her life had presented her with some bitter disappointments, she didn't dare hope that things had changed.

Pushing her worries away she pressed a kiss to Caitlin's head and pulled her tighter against her side.

"I don't think your daddy was the kind of boy who liked playing with dolls," she told her before glancing up at Michael, smiling brightly. "I think he was more of a gun kinda boy."

Michael could feel the tension melting away from her when she relaxed against the back of the couch, taking Caitlin with her.

"And your mom liked things that went boom," he told her as he cast Fiona a teasing grin before he sank back against the cushions and nestled Catlin in between them

"That's because I grew up with so many brothers!" Fiona retorted with a wide smile. "It isn't a lot of fun being the only girl…"

"I don't like boys," Caitlin announced from where she was nestled in between her parents. "Daniel was mean."

Fiona exchanged looks with Michael before she touched Caitlin's hand, running the tip of her fingertips over her skin. Her brother's eldest son flashed into her mind but she was finding it hard to picture the ginger haired ten year old.

"What did he do that was mean?"

"He pulled me hair," Caitlin pouted as she snuggled into her mother's side. "An' he said I didn' have a mammy."

"Well that _was_ mean, baby," Fiona told her softly. "But sometimes boys do that."

"He said aunt Marie wa' goin ta…habdopt me…" Caitlin moved out from between them to climb onto her lap and leaned against her. "Ya won't let har though will ya mammy…ya won't let har cut all me hair."

For a moment Fiona's eyes sparked with fury. She was pretty sure that Pat's son had overheard the adoption word and chosen to torment Caitlin with it. The only thing she was thankful for was that Caitlin had no idea what it meant. Her mind slipped back to a conversation that she'd had with her brother a few days after she'd called her mother to tell her she was coming back to Ireland. She'd been feeling lost and alone and all she wanted was to have her daughter back with her, the small piece of Michael that she knew would love her without question.

"_No one wants ta take yer babby away from ya sis," Patrick told her when she held the phone to her ear. "Yer don't have ta worry abou' tha' okay."_

"_How do I know tha' Pat?" she asked, her heart beat thundering inside her chest. "She doesn't even know who I am."_

"_O' course she does," he snapped. "I tell har every day who har mammy is."_

"_Yeah? And wha' do ya tell har when she asks why I'm not thare?"_

"_Fiona…it's not—"_

"_Do ya tell har I didn't want har? TELL me Patrick."_

"_I don' tell har anythin'…Marie takes har away an' distracts har wit' stuff…I don' know…tha' kids are har thing."_

"_I wan' me daughter back Pat, she should be with me—"_

"_An' as soon as yer settled ya can have har. She's yer babby Fiona, I ain't goin' ta take tha' away."_

"_I'm comin' home, she'll be livin' wit' me," she told him defiantly, waiting for him to tell her he'd see her soon, but the next voice that answered hadn't been her brothers, but his wife._

"_Fiona," Marie's voice softened as she spoke, "I know ya want ta have har wit' ya, but think wha's best fer har."_

"_This is best fer har Marie. I'm har mother, I'm coming home."_

"_Wha', when?"_

"_Soon," Fiona told her. "I'll be thare within tha week."_

Her thoughts came back to the little girl beside her and she suddenly realised that she's drifted away. Squeezing her shoulder she placed another soft kiss into her hair. "No baby, no one is going to cut your hair."

"But Daniel said—"

"Daniel was teasing you," Fiona told her quickly, her voice rising slightly. She could already feel the anger simmering inside her and the first instinct was to head back to her place to confront her two brothers and demand answers. She wanted to know the truth and if she had to go back to Ireland to rip the entire place apart to find out for herself, then she was damn well going to do it.

Sensing her changing mood, Sam met Michael's eyes and moved towards the couch to focus on the little girl that was nestled against her mother's chest.

"Hey Caitlin, if it's okay with your mom and dad, maybe we could go to the beach for a couplea hours after all?"

Caitlin's eyes grew wide and she sat up on Fiona's lap before she dived towards her. "Can I mammy? Pleeeeease…"

Fiona looked down at her daughter before lifting her eyes up to Sam. Any other time she would have been furious but when she saw the apology in his gaze she was actually grateful for the distraction. Nodding her thanks, she touched Caitlin's shoulder to keep her from bouncing up and down excitedly. Taking a breath she tried to keep her voice steady and focus on her daughter rather than what punishment she wanted to dish out on her brother's.

Seeing her struggling to remain in control, Michael sat forward and tapped Caitlin's cheek affectionately before sliding his hand over Fiona's arm. He knew being separated from their daughter wasn't something that Fiona was handling well, but he also knew she was like a ticking time bomb, and when the time came for her to take out her anger on her family he wanted to be right there alongside her.

"How about we go back home to pick up your bathing suit first," Fiona suggested as she turned to look at the man beside her before turning back to their daughter.

Caitlin squealed excitedly and leapt forward to throw her arms around her mother and then sat back in her lap to smile up at her. "Yer coming to tha beach too aren't ya mammy?"

Fiona was taken aback for a brief moment before her lips turned upwards into a smile, "Of course I am baby, as soon as me and your dad have brought Uncle Sean and Seamus's things over here we'll come and find you."

"Can we jump in tha sea?" Caitlin asked excitedly as she bounced on Fiona's knee to emphasise it. She giggled when Michael looked at her with an adoring smile and promptly propelled herself onto his lap. Turning half way around to face him she captured his face in the palm of her hands to keep him still. "Will ya jump in tha sea wit' me?"

"Uh…"

"Of course he will sweetheart," Madeline piped up from the kitchen as she came to stand beside Sam. "That's what daddy's do."

Michael's eyes whipped up towards his mother and fixed her with a steady glare that slowly dissipated when Caitlin wrapped her arms around him.

"Come on li'l darlin'," Sam chuckled as he held out his hand to her, enjoying seeing the discomfort on Michael's face. "Let's go and see if we can find somethin' for ya to eat while your mom and dad are out."

"Okay," Caitlin beamed a smile in Sam's direction before she climbed off of Michael's knee to grab hold of Sam's hand. Looking back at her parents she grinned happily and waved before she hopped and bounced all the way towards the kitchen, her voice echoing throughout the room.

"Are ya goin' ta jump tha waves wit' me Uncle Sam?" she chattered happily as she clung to his hand.

Sam's laughter rumbled as he grinned down at the little girl who had everyone enraptured. "Ya know, honey, I just might…"

Madeline couldn't help but smile when she watched their retreating form. This little girl was something that they had all needed for a very long time. Turning back around to face Fiona and Michael she sighed heavily when she could still see the dazed expression on both of their faces.

"Go," she told them forcefully. "We'll be on the beach when you get back."

"Thanks Madeline," Fiona told her thankfully as she got up from the couch to take one last look towards her daughter. "We won't be too long."

"Take as long as you need," the older woman told her as she patted her arm. "She'll be fine."

"Mom—"

"Michael," Madeline fixed him with a piercing gaze and folded her arm across her chest. "Your girlfriend needs you."

Michael's eyes shot to Fiona who was still watching their daughter's interaction with Sam. Nodding his head he touched Fiona's shoulder to gain her attention before ushering her out of the house and towards the charger, knowing that the two Glenanne brother's had better have a good explanation for why Caitlin mentioned something about adoption.

Getting into the car, Michael turned to watch Fiona worriedly when he could already see her biting the inside of her lip. He knew she was angry, and so was he, but they weren't going to get answers by beating it out of them.

"They were going to keep her," Fiona's words came out in a rush when Michael started the car. "I'm going to kill 'em…I'm going to kill all of 'em…"

"Listen, Fi…I want answers too but—"

"Oh no, you're not taking this away from me Michael," she hissed angrily. "I stood there and watched my brother and his _wife_ lie to me. Believe me, they're going to _pay_…they're all going to get what they deserve."

"Okay, but I want to be there too when the bullets start flying."

"Oh look, there you go on your white charger again," she told him dryly before she flashed him a slight smile. Pulling her bag onto her lap she delved her hand inside and rested her hand on the cool metal that nestled in the bottom of her bag. "Just as well I brought my own fire power."

Shaking his head, Michael felt his lips turn upwards into a smile as he reached across and took her hand in his before he turned his eyes back onto the road. For their own sake he hoped Sean and Seamus were in a talking mood because he wasn't sure he could keep Fiona from shooting them first. Squeezing her hand, he smiled when he felt her spread her fingers over his thigh while he drove, and he knew right in that moment that whatever happened, they were going to be okay.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thank you to everyone for your reviews, PM's, favourite story and author adds. Every one of your comments is very much appreciated. I'm doing my best to send individual replies but RL has been taking up a lot of my time.**

**Huge thanks as always to Purdy's Pal, DaisyDay and Jedi Skysinger for reading through parts of this chapter for me and for brightening my days.**

8

Sean had his back to the door and was in the middle of making himself some tea when the front door flew open, surprising him before he had a chance to reach for his gun. On full alert he spun around sinking to his knees in search of anything that he could use for a weapon.

Cursing inwardly, he hoped that Seamus had heard the commotion from the bathroom and was on his way out here to provide some back up and shoot the hell out of whoever had barged into their sister's house. Lifting his hands he slowly pulled open the cutlery draw, ready to take out any sharp object he could find. Lifting a knife in his hand he bounced it in his palm to test the weight of it before he slowly crawled towards the edge of the kitchen.

"Seamus…Sean…ya both better get yer arses out here right now…I wanta talk ta tha both a ya."

Relief swamped his senses when he heard the unmistakable sound of his sister's voice but that relief was short lived when he got to his feet and caught the pure fury in her eyes. Swallowing hard he tried to think of what he could have possibly done to piss her off so he just tried to laugh it off and hoped her mood would shift to a lighter one.

"What ya doin' sis, I coulda shot ya."

"Ya an' I'd a come back ta haunt ya arse," she snapped as she moved further into the room. "Whare's Seamus?"

"Uh…he's in tha loo…look, Fiona…wha'—"

"Get him ou' here now," she growled. "Ya both ha' better be talkin' because I ain't in any mood fer ya jokes, no' this time."

Seamus hovered in the doorway nervously and looked from his sister's thunderous glare, then to his brother back again before he stepped further into the room. He'd only heard part of what Fiona had practically yelled across the room but when he heard Caitlin's name he knew something was definitely wrong.

"Fiona?" He asked cautiously. "Wha'—"

"Thare ya are," she snapped angrily as she turned her glare onto him. "Now tha' yer both here I wanta know why me babby wa' talkin' abou' Marie wantin' ta adopt har."

"Wha'?" Sean asked in confusion, shaking his head. His eyes shifted onto Michael who came inside and closed the door behind him. He too had a thunderous look about him, something he hadn't noticed in his sister's boyfriend before. There was something unnerving about the ice blue coldness in his eyes and Sean felt himself take a step back.

"Adoptin'?" Seamus shook his head and moved a little closer towards his sister. "No sis, she musta go' it wrong."

"She's four years old," Michael's stony voice boomed into the room as he slowly made his way towards Fiona, his presence casting an wave of apprehension over the two Glenanne brother's when he came to stand directly behind their sister. "Where did she hear it?"

Seamus opened his mouth to ask McBride why he was acting so interested now after all these years but the sheer coldness in the other man's eyes caused him to clamp his mouth shut. Whoever this man was standing before them now, he was not the same McBride they'd known all those years ago.

Fiona looked down at the gun in her hand before she lifted it towards Sean, her eyes alight with fire. "Now ya better start talkin' or I'm goin' ta start shootin'."

"I don' know wha' ya talkin'—"

"Cut tha crap Sean," Fiona growled angrily, her eyes blazing when she loomed dangerously close. "An' wha' abou' Seamus, wha' ya got ta say? I swear if either of ya had anythin' ta do wit' this, I'll kill tha both a ya."

"Fi," Michael's voice loomed in the air as he placed a hand on her arm. "You're always telling me not to take family for granted. You have to calm down…"

"Don't ya DARE tell me ta calm down," she hissed as she turned on him. "Thay were goin' ta keep our daughter..."

"Fiona, killing them won't solve anything—"

"Michael, I'm no' goin' ta let this go. I jus' got har back after all this time an' now I find ou' thay're all bastard liars."

"Now wait a minute…" Sean's voice broke through Fiona's when he stepped out of the kitchen to stand before her. "What ya goin' on abou'?"

"Oh don' act like ya don' know Sean," Fiona snapped when she slowly felt her anger ebbing away. "Caitlin told us Marie wanted ta adopt har but she didn' know wha' it meant."

"Fi, I woul' never lie ta ya, ya know tha' and neither woul' Pat, he woul' never do tha' ta ya," Sean shook his head and looked up to Michael, imploring him to help put out the fire in his sister's eyes, but he wasn't in any mood to listen to reason either.

"Sean," Michael started as she kept his hand resting on Fiona's arm, his touch instantly extinguishing the fury in her eyes. "If you know anything—"

"I swear ta ya," Sean sighed, holding up his hands in surrender. "I didn' know."

"Then ya betta ring Patrick right now an' have him explain it ta me," Fiona told him ferociously. "Almos' five years Sean…_FIVE _YEARS…how do ya think I felt?"

"I don' know—"

"No ya don' do ya?" her breath caught in her throat and the anger slowly died away to leave her feeling utterly deflated. "Every day without har has been hard, but I coped wit' it because I thought I wa' doin' tha right thing fer har…but now…"

"Fiona, I'm sorry…"

"Sorry doesn't give me back the years I've lost," she told him, her accent slipping back into American as she moved away from Michael to head towards Caitlin's room, barging Seamus out of the way when he moved to touch her. Turning back around she looked at Sean accusingly, "And now... I find out you were _all _behind this... you were always planning on keeping her away from me…"

Biting back a sob she turned to face the man she loved trying to offer him a reassuring smile but she couldn't seem to make her mouth work. Her whole world had been turned on its head and she could already feel the overpowering need to cling on to Michael and Caitlin and never let them go. Their eyes met and held. Every thought, every ounce of love they had ever felt for each other intensified into one pure clarifying emotion. She swallowed against the intense feelings that overtook her senses before she backed out of the room, unable to tear her eyes away from his. "I'll get her things and then we can get out of here."

Michael watched her and nodded silently as he held onto every ounce of self control he had to not rush after her and get her out of this house. The powerful surge of protection that had always surrounded him when it came to her was coursing through him now like molten lava and he knew right in that moment that whatever happened, he would never leave her or their daughter again.

Sean and Seamus glanced at each other before looking away, both of them feeling a little uncomfortable with the crackle of intensity that had always surrounded the two lovers who couldn't seem to drop their gaze from the other.

Seamus coughed and averted his eyes and looked down at his watch. "I'll…give Pat a call an' ge' ta tha bottom of this, sis…"

Fiona dropped her gaze away from Michael to cast her brother a brief glare before she turned away from all three men in the room. She felt completely raw. Every time she had cried herself to sleep in the past had all been for nothing. They had lied to her and made her think that leaving her daughter was the right thing to do when all along all they wanted was to take her away. Turning away she made her way into Caitlin's room and closed the door behind her.

Michael felt completely helpless. He had never felt these kinds of emotions before and although he had always known he'd loved her, the intensity of that love almost took his breath away. Watching her retreating form, he waited until she was out of sight before his instincts took over, fuelling his movements and causing him to charge towards Sean, taking him by surprise. Pushing him back forcefully against the wall he held him against the flat surface, pinning him against it as he fixed him with a deadly glare.

"I swear if any member of your family hurts her you won't have to worry about what _she_ will do to you."

"Yeah," Sean gasped as he struggled to break free. "Wha' ya goin' ta do abou' it?"

"I'll kill you _and_ your family…" Michael's voice remained steady as he spoke, allowing the threat of his words to linger in the air before he released Fiona's brother and stepped away. Shifting his gaze he focused on the youngest of the Glenanne brother's, causing him to stand with his mouth agape. "Do you _both _understand me?"

"We hear ya," Sean groused, rearranging his clothes angrily. "But I swear ta ya, I didn' know."

Fiona came back into the room and stopped in the doorway as she looked from Sean to Michael suspiciously. Her brother couldn't seem to keep eye contact with either of them and Michael was glaring at him with a murderous gaze. Stepping further into the room she looked down at Caitlin's bathing suit in her hand and felt a surge of love inside her.

Michael had always been the strong silent love of her life, her friend, lover and protector all rolled into one. Watching him now, his presence dominating her fumbling brother's, she couldn't help but feel a burst of pride race through her.

"Fiona," Sean shook his head in an apology. "I swear I didn' know anythin'—"

"Call Pat," she ordered when she moved to stand beside Michael, drawing strength from his touch. "When we get back with Caitlin tell him I want an explanation."

"I'll do it fer ya, Fi," Seamus sputtered. "I can take tha babby ta tha shop if ya like…she—"

"She's with her Grandma," Fiona told him, her voice softening when she saw the look of worry in his eyes. "I don't blame you Seamus…you were always there for me."

"I'd a never let tham take har if I'd a known wha' they were plannin'," his voice wavered when he saw the sorrow in her eyes. "Ya wa' always a good mam…yer—"

"We're going to the beach," she cut through his words as she moved to stand beside the man she loved, trying to hide the emotion in her voice. "We'll be back later."

"My mother's made room for both of you at the house," Michael told them as he slid an arm around Fiona's shoulder to maneuverer her towards the door. "She's expecting you both to be there tonight."

Without giving either brother the chance to respond he ushered Fiona out of the door and closed the door behind him, leaving Seamus and Sean to stare at each other in bewildered silence.

000

Michael glanced across to the woman beside him before returning his eyes back to the road as he drove. She had been quiet since they'd left the house, something that caused his senses to flare into high alert. In all the time he'd known Fiona she had never been one to sit in silence, whether she was angry or not.

Swallowing hard against the anger building up inside him, he tried to push the apparent betrayal from her family into the far reaches of his mind. There were going to be ramifications for the pain they had caused her, he would make damn sure of that. They had ripped her apart inside and when he reached across the gap between them to lay his hand over hers, he vowed that the whole Glenanne clan would pay the price for what they had done to her.

Fiona shifted in her seat and turned to look down at their joined hands. She honestly didn't know how she felt about the latest bombshell to come down from the family who had always claimed to love her. Her memories clouded to merge with the present and she suddenly didn't know what to believe anymore.

Turning her palm upwards she clasped Michael's hand in hers, lacing their fingers together. She knew that when the numbness wore away she would be ravaged with anger and ready to exact her own kind of revenge on her family, but right now all she felt was…lost.

"Fi…" Michael's voice caused her to squeeze his hand tighter as she turned her eyes to his.

"I thought they were trying to help," she told him through a shaky voice before she dropped her eyes to focus on their joined hands. "When Pat told me it was for Caitlin's own safety I believed him…"

"You couldn't have known what they were planning, Fi," he told her softly, his fingers encompassing hers on her knee. "They took advantage of you."

Closing her eyes against the memories welling inside her, Fiona shook her head and brought her other hand across to cover their joined hands. Taking a breath she opened her eyes and swallowed the lump in her throat before she leaned her head back against the seat to watch him.

Her eyes travelled across his features, spurring memories of their last night's together before he left her alone in their bed. She often wondered if he ever thought about what his leaving had done to her, or if he ever really cared at all. Before Caitlin arrived in Miami she didn't really know where she stood in his life, and if she was honest she still didn't know. He was acting like the doting father now and more like the boyfriend he'd been when he was masquerading as another man, but even she had to wonder how long it would last.

The feel of his hand in hers sent memories of the man she had fallen in love with to the forefront of her mind. A burst of love washed over her as she watched him, and she knew she would never be able to love any other man. She couldn't move on after he'd left and not only because he'd left part of himself inside her, she just knew she would never let herself love anyone else after him.

_They had just left the pub leaving her five brothers still inside when Michael reached out an arm, draping it across her shoulders to shield her from the cold breeze that had elicited a shiver from her body. Silently, he guided her back towards their car that was concealed in a shroud of darkness down a nearby side road not far from the pub. Leaving her side briefly, he unlocked the door for her to climb inside before he walked around to the car to pull his own door open. _

_Fiona watched him quietly when he slammed his door closed, her eyes drinking in the essence of him beside her. He had always had a magnetism about him that kept her bound to his side. He was like a drug, filling her with wanton abandonment that never seemed to end whenever they were together._

_Unable to control herself any longer she leaned across her seat and reached up to trace his face with her fingertips before turning his face towards her so that he could see the hunger in her eyes. She saw his eyes flare with desire, something he had never been able to hide no matter how many times he denied it. Wordlessly she closed the small distance between their bodies to crush their mouths together, kissing him with every ounce of desire she felt. _

_Michael's mouth opened beneath hers and his hand snaked around the back of her head to thread his fingers through her hair, pulling her closer. Fiona edged nearer to him, one of her hands reaching beneath his shirt in search of bare skin. Passion took over as their bodies craved each other's touch. Tongues clashed and tangled in an erotic frenzy, bringing a thousand different emotions to burst through their senses, igniting the smouldering embers that never seemed to die between them._

_A car's invading headlights shone into their domain, basking them with unwelcome light. Pulling apart reluctantly, they stayed within the confines of each other's personal space, both unwilling to draw away completely. Fiona eyed his lips longingly; her need to feel him once again burning through the logical part of her mind that told her that any one of her brothers could come out of the pub and catch them at any time._

_She opened her mouth to tell him they needed to leave but her voice died on her lips when he snapped forward, his mouth covering hers to steal the breath from within her. She whimpered softly as he pulled her closer to his body, his aching touch igniting fires inside her. Pulling back quickly, she gazed up at him, lust flaring in her eyes. "Ya ever done it in a car befer?""_

_"Wha'?" he panted as his heart thundered inside his chest when it slowly registered what she had just asked him._

_"A car," she asked softly as she leaned in closer to press soft kisses over his cheek. "Any car…" she whispered as she kissed his chin, peppering his skin with tiny kisses of passion. Feeling the shudder that ran through him, she delighted with the effect she was having on his body and dropped a hand to his lap to slowly slide her fingertips along his thighs. "I want ya now...here…"_

_Wordlessly, he moved forward to take her lips in a searing kiss only to pull away from her. Their eyes met and held as he leaned in closer to her ear, a soft whisper filling her body with shuddering desire. "Ya can have me."_

Michael could feel her eyes on him even before he turned his head to glance at her. The smile on her face brought a flutter to his heart when he turned his eyes back onto the road. He could remember so many times how just one look from her had caused his whole body to come alive. She had an effect on him that no other woman had ever had before and he knew it was because she had always been the other part of him. He'd never brought in to all that soul mate stuff until he'd met her. That's when he realised there would never be anyone else.

"I was just thinking about that night back in Ireland," she told him with a sultry smile when she ran one of her fingertips over his hand.

"There were a lot of nights in Ireland," he grinned as he squeezed her hand tighter. "Which—"

"The car…" she grinned as she watched the red blush that crept over his face before she brought their joined hands to her lips to place a soft kiss over his skin. "Do you remember?"

Michael's mind flared with memories, dredging up all of the old feelings that he'd buried away after he'd left. How could she ever think he could forget it? He'd had girlfriends before and he'd slept with a few, but Fiona was different. After her there had never been anyone else because no one could ever compare to her.

"I remember," he managed to say before his body responded to the memories of that night. She had a way of stripping away his logic, turning him into a fumbling teenager whenever she touched him. Their relationship had surpassed anything else he'd ever experienced and something that he'd never thought he would ever find.

When he was sent to Ireland he was closed off and focused on nothing but the mission. This beautiful woman beside him had managed to disable the training he'd always used to protect himself from personal situations. She had melted away his resolve with very little effort to find her way very quickly into his heart. Being with her had confirmed to him that everything else he had felt before her wasn't love.

"You were so nervous," she chuckled, her voice smoothing over the trembling that had overtaken her body.

"_Yeah!_ Your brothers were in the pub a few streets away!" he huffed only to melt into laughter. "Liam already promised to kill me if he ever caught us together…"

"What?" she laughed as she thought of her older over protective brother. "He liked you."

"Oh really?" he asked haughtily. "Is that why he threatened to string me up by my—"

"Oh that was just his way," she told him with a coy smile. "He was just trying to protect me…"

Her voice trailed away when she thought of her family and how they had taken her life apart with their lies. Liam hadn't lived at home for years, not since he'd met his wife, Eileen and they'd moved away to Cork. She wondered if he would have protected her against their mother and Patrick if he'd known what they were planning.

"How could they do that to us, Michael?" she asked in a voice that sounded foreign to her own ears. "How could they take our baby?"

The smile that had lifted his lips only moments ago slowly filtered away to leave him utterly lost. There were so many things he shouldn't have done a long time ago and leaving her was one of them. He opened his mouth to tell her that they had their daughter back now but the words died on his lips when he felt her squeeze his hand

"I wish I knew Fi, I really do," he sighed helplessly. "What they did was wrong, but—"

"They were going to keep her from us, Michael," she told him as she released his hand to sit up straighter in her seat. "My mother lied right to my face…she knew what they wanted to do and she still went ahead with it."

"Fi—"

"I haven't had a real conversation with her in a long time, and that has always been my choice…but I need answers from her. I want to know why she did it."

Michael glanced across at her briefly before he reached for her hand again, vowing to never let her go through anything like this alone again.

"There's a lot of questions that need answering," he told her as he brought her hand across his lap. "Like how O'Neill knew exactly where to find you."

Fiona's eyes flared with understanding when she realised what he was trying to say. It hadn't really crossed her mind until now that O'Neill had arrived outside her door, ready to drag her back to Ireland. Everything had happened so fast and then Sean had arrived with Caitlin…

"You think my family—"

"I don't know what to think, Fi," he told her heavily. "All I know is that as soon as you called your mother to tell her you were going home, O'Neill turned up out of nowhere…does anyone besides your family know where you are?"

Fiona's gaze dropped down to their joined hands before she shook her head slowly. "No… I don't think so…"

Michael didn't want to be the one to tell her that he suspected her sister in law of giving her location to O'Neill. He'd only met Marie Glenanne on a couple of occasions and they were both very brief. He knew by her eyes that she was slowly putting the puzzle pieces together to form the answers inside her mind, but it didn't make the betrayal sting any less.

"We're nearly there," he told her quietly when the sea came into view. "Do you want to call your mom now or…"

"The only thing I want now is out there on that beach," she told him. "Let's worry about my mother later, okay."

When he stopped the car, Michael held onto her hand a little longer before he unclasped their fingers to release her. He'd never been in a situation like this before and he didn't really know what he was supposed to do. All he knew was that tonight when he accompanied Sean and Seamus to his mother's house he was going to ask them the same questions.

"Okay," he told her with a slight smile as he pulled his phone out of his pocket to press in his mother's number. He was trying desperately to resist the urge to reach out for her to pull her against him in an effort to reassure her that she wasn't going to be doing this alone. She was strong, he knew that, but even the strongest people had a breaking point. Keeping his eyes trained on her face, he heard a voice at the other end of the phone. "Hey, mom…we're on our way."

000

"Hold me hand Uncle Sam," Caitlin squealed excitedly as she clung to Sam's hand when the lapping tide edged ever closer towards her bare feet.

"I've got ya honey," he laughed when he came up behind her to lift her in the air so that her feet dangled just above the foaming water.

Caitlin let out a cross between a scream and a laugh when he dipped her closer to the water so her feet were swallowed into the wet sand. The little girl's face merged into one of pure joy as she clung to his arms and splashed her feet in the water.

"Uncle SAM," she squealed when he scooped her up and out of the water to swing her around onto the dry sand. "Is mammy nearly comin' now?"

Sam couldn't help the warm smile that merged over his lips when he looked down at the little girl who looked so much like her mother. Reaching down to scoop her up, he held her against his hip and carried her towards the general direction of Madeline and the beach towels.

"She should be here any time now," he told her warmly when she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Maybe when we find your grandma we'll go and buy that ice cream while we're waitin'."

Caitlin's eyes moved to his face, her laughter bursting out from nowhere when she hugged him tightly against her. "Yer funny…"

"Funny?" he asked her incredulously, feeling himself falling more in love with her with every passing second. "You think I'm funny?"

"Yep," she giggled only to squirm against him when he began to tickle her relentlessly. "Noooooooo…_Uncle_ Saaaam…"

Sam grinned and hugged her against him as he pressed a loud kiss to her cheek. "Okay," he laughed when he placed her back onto the warm sand and reached down to take a hold of her hand. "Let's go see if your mom and dad are back yet."

Caitlin gripped his hand in hers and bounced along the sand beside him, taking wide steps to try and match his. A shadow cast over hers and she looked up curiously at the woman smiling down at her.

"Oh what a beautiful little girl," she gushed as she looked from Caitlin to Sam. "You daughter is adorable."

"Oh she's not my daughter," Sam told her with a dazzling smile. "She's my niece."

"I'm four," Caitlin told her proudly and held up four fingers to prove it. "Uncle Sam wa' takin' me ta tha sea."

"Really?" the woman asked, completely charmed by the little girls wide smile. Lifting her eyes back to Sam she eyed him carefully and reached inside her large beach bag to pull out a small card. "Give me a call sometime."

"Oh you betcha," he winked and looked down at the card before glancing back up at her. "Monica…"

"Nice to meet you," she smiled as she held her hand out to him.

"Sam," he provided, taking her hand to lift it to his lips to press a soft kiss onto it before he released her.

"I'm Caitlin," the little girl beside him announced as she hopped up and down on the spot. "We're goin' ta buy ice cream…"

"Well you enjoy your time on the beach sweetheart," Monica told her with a smile as she turned to walk away but stopped to flash Sam a coy wink. "You too, Sam."

"Yeah," he nodded when Caitlin tugged on his hand. "Bye."

When Monica turned to walk away, Caitlin looked up at him curiously when he kept his eyes focused on Monica's retreating form. Jumping around in front of him she grabbed his other hand and bounced up and down until his attention was once again focused on her.

"Can we go an' find nana now?" she asked impatiently. "An' mammy?"

"Sure thing honey," he told her brightly, still not quite believing all the attention he was receiving from so many women on the beach. Smiling down at the little girl by his side he realised that Michael and Fiona's daughter was like a good luck charm for meeting the ladies. Now all he needed was for the two of them to have another kid and he'd be set for life.

Caitlin tugged on his hand and ran forward, pulling him along behind her. "Come on Uncle Sam," she giggled. "We need ta go."

Sam's face merged into one big smile as he started to move his feet, breaking into a slow run as she giggled hysterically beside him.

When they arrived back at Madeline's place on the beach, Sam let go of Caitlin's hand so she could run towards the older woman.

"Nana," Caitlin beamed when she ran for her only to be engulfed in a tight embrace. Clambering onto her lap, Caitlin sat down and pointed to her sandy toes. "Look at me feet," she giggled. "I'm a sandy monster!"

"Did you have fun sweetheart?" Madeline asked her brightly.

"I went in tha sea," Caitlin gushed as she bounced up and down on Madeline's lap. "Uncle Sam lifted me in tha air."

"He did?" she asked with a wide smile. "Well that sounds like fun."

"Yep," Caitlin told her before she broke out into a fit of giggles. "An' he kissed a lady's hand…"

Madeline's eyes snapped up to the man who was standing beside her with a look of bewilderment on his face. Shrugging his shoulders he was going to tell her anything that could placate her but before he could utter a word, Caitlin gasped and clambered off of Madeline's lap to squeal excitedly.

Turning around he didn't think he would ever get used to seeing his two friends as doting parents. Fiona's face merged into pure delight as she dropped to her knees to engulf the child that raced towards her, pulling her into her arms.

"Hey you two," he grinned as he made his way towards Michael to slap him on the shoulder. "Your daughter's a lady magnet Mike, she's my good luck charm!"

Michael's lips turned upwards into a smile and he shook his head in disbelief. "You used my daughter to pick up women, Sam?"

"Well I didn't exactly use her Mike…it's not my fault she attracts the ladies!"

"Why am I not surprised?" Michael chuckled as he turned his attention towards the little girl who had left her mother to throw herself towards him. Scooping her up into his arms he held her against him when she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I went in tha sea," she told him when she pulled back to frame his face in her hands. "Uncle Sam wa' wit' me."

"Yeah?" Michael grinned happily. "Mom brought your bathing suit—"

"Will ya jump tha waves wit' me daddy?" she asked excitedly when she leaned forward to kiss him. "An' Uncle Sam, too?"

Michael laughed, completely besotted by the little girl in his arms. Nodding enthusiastically he placed her back onto the sand so she could run back to her mother who was sitting on the beach towel beside Madeline. He couldn't help but feel elated when his girlfriend opened her arms to clasp their daughter tightly against her, and that only made the pain of the past hurt so much more. She needed answers that had been denied to her for so long and he was going to make sure she got them.

Moving towards his family he sank down onto the sand beside them and slipped an arm around Fiona's shoulders in an effort to prove to her that she had his total support, despite her doubts. To his immense surprise she leaned back against him, allowing his touch to soothe her.

Fiona was trying to listen to what Madeline was saying to her but her heart was thundering too loudly in her ears. Michael's touch had always had an effect on her, but she couldn't ever remember a time when he'd openly displayed affection towards her in public. Sighing heavily she tried to focus on Madeline but was finding it increasingly difficult when she felt Michael's fingertips toying with the ends of her hair.

"Mammy can we go inta tha sea again?" Caitlin asked when she leaned her back against her mother's chest. "I want ta jump…"

Fiona looked down at the little girl resting against her and felt herself nodding before she'd had time to think. Running her fingertips over Caitlin's hair she pulled it back into a pony tail before sliding a hair band out of her own hair to wrap it around her daughter's dark locks.

"We'll go to the bathroom so you can change," she told her with a smile as she glanced back to look at the man behind her. Leaning into him she reached up and touched his face with her fingers only to move away just as quickly as she directed her attention towards their daughter who was playing with the sand at her feet.

A feeling of contentment washed over Michael and he suddenly couldn't remember anything that had felt so right in his life before. Breathing deeply, her scent invaded his senses, causing him to possessively pull her back closer to his body, his need to feel her warmth overwhelming every other conscious thought. Time had seemed to stop, enclosing them into a world of their own where nothing else existed but them. He knew that after these last few days that nothing would compare to the feeling of having her here beside him where nothing or no one could hurt her.

Fiona closed her eyes against the sensations that were coursing throughout her body. Having him this close was something she had always craved, but when he gave himself willingly it made everything they had been through over the years worthwhile.

Pulling herself back to the present she reached out and squeezed his hand on her shoulder before sitting forward to place a kiss onto her daughter's head.

"Let's go and get you changed into your bathing suit," she told her as she wrapped her arms around her from behind. "Then you can make daddy all wet."

"Yessss!" Caitlin giggled as she crawled onto her knees to stand up in front of her mother impatiently. "Come on mammy."

"Okay, I'm coming," Fiona told her with a wide smile as she pulled herself up to stand beside her. Brushing her hands over her bare knees she turned back to flash Michael another warm smile before she stepped forward to take her daughter's hand.

"I'll come with you," Madeline chuckled when she saw the dazed look on her son's face. She couldn't believe she hadn't noticed it before now. She'd always seen the way he looked at Fiona with so much affection but she hadn't seen anything like what he was portraying now. He had the look of a man in love.

Getting to her feet she picked up her bag and turned back towards the two men who were watching Fiona and Caitlin swinging their hands back and forth. Shaking her head she smiled at both of them before she tucked her bag over her shoulder. This was going to be a very long day…

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews, PM's, favourite story and author adds. I really do appreciate every one of your comments.**

**Thank you also to my wonderful friends, Purdy's Pal, DaisyDay and Jedi Skysinger for reading through parts of this for me. **

9

Michael was enjoying being with his daughter more than he realised he would. He couldn't believe how it had taken very little persuasion from the little girl who had wrapped him effortlessly around her little finger, causing him to agree to everything she asked him to do. She seemed to have the same effect on Sam who had transformed into a man that Michael barely recognised. He couldn't ever remember a time when he'd witnessed his friend so carefree and happy.

Caitlin had been a constant ball of energy and kept both men on their toes when she was back and forth into the sea, holding onto both of their hands when they jumped the waves. She was wet and had sand in between her toes but she had the biggest smile when she'd returned back to her mother, engulfing her in a tight hug.

"Did ya see us mammy?" she asked excitedly when she took the offered carton of juice to drink it down greedily.

"I did," Fiona laughed. "I think you've worn Uncle Sam out, it's been a whole two minutes when he hasn't made a new lady friend!"

"Hey there's plenty a life left in me sister," he told her with a wide grin. "I'm just takin' a minute ya know to…recharge…"

Caitlin pulled the straw from her mouth and handed the carton back to her mother before she lifted her hat up so she could push a strand of hair away from her face. Turning around to Sam she giggled as she bounced towards him to grab hold of his hand.

"Ya silly Uncle Sam…mammy's not yer sister, she's me mammy…"

Madeline couldn't help the laughter that bubbled from deep within her chest when she looked over towards her friend. "She's got you there, Sam."

Sam shook his head and grinned down at the little girl who had managed to bring a lightness to him that he hadn't felt in a very long time. Reaching down he tapped her cheek with his finger affectionately before he sat down onto the sandy towel beside Madeline.

"Well she's like a sister honey, it's the same kinda thing."

"Aww Sam, you've gone soft," Fiona grinned. "That's the sweetest thing you've ever said to my face."

"See that's why I didn't say it to ya face," he quipped back, his grin matching hers. "You take things the wrong way!"

"The wrong way?" she asked innocently. "Oh Sam there's only one way to take that…admit it, I'm growing on ya!"

"Yeah, like an infection!"

"_Guys_," Michael sighed when he looked from one to the other before nodding his head towards Caitlin.

"Ah lighten up Mikey," Sam grinned. "When did ya become all serious?"

"Daddy can we jump in tha sea again?" Caitlin asked excitedly when he'd finished rubbing sunblock onto Fiona's shoulders.

"Aren't you tired?" he asked with a smile when she came towards him and sat down. Turning her back to him she moved her hair out of the way for him to apply cream to her shoulders, while she shook her head emphatically.

"Nope," she grinned when she turned back around to launch herself into his arms. "Can we…pleeeeease?"

Fiona watched in amazement when she saw her boyfriend's face transform into one big smile. Part of her was a little envious of her daughter's effect on him and how he agreed so readily. She wished he was so easily swayed when she asked him to do something for her. Leaning into his shoulder she smiled as she pressed a kiss to his cheek before pulling back to place a finger beneath his chin, turning his face towards her.

"You daughter wants your attention," she told him in a sultry whisper. "If I say please when we get home, will I get your attention…"

Michael gulped visibly and snapped his head away as a slow blush crept its way up his cheek. Standing abruptly he avoided Fiona's knowing gaze and reached down to take Caitlin's hand in his. Smiling down at her he shook his head when Sam threw him a look that was more of a pleading gesture that he wouldn't have to go with them this time.

"Are ya comin' too Uncle Sam?" she asked when she turned to look at him expectantly.

"I'll sit this one out honey," he told her when he laid flat on the sand and placed his hat over his eyes. "Uncle Sammy needs a minute."

Caitlin beamed a smile at Fiona and her grandmother as she let go of Michael's hand to sink onto her knees to crawl beside the older man to lift his hat up so she could peer down at him.

"Are ya goin' ta jump tha waves wit' us again?" she asked as she sat down next to him to lean against his prone body. "Please Uncle Sam…"

Sam opened his eyes and found himself looking into the brightest blue eyes and knew he couldn't say no to her. Reaching out his hand he held onto her smaller one and grinned at her, "Help me up then honey."

Caitlin was on her feet in seconds and grabbed hold of his hands to pull him upwards, tugging hard. Sam got to his feet and groaned when he moved his hat back on his head before he took her hand again.

"Lead the way little darlin'," he laughed, ignoring Michael's knowing smirk. Looking back down at the little girl he gave her his full attention and jogged with her across the beach and all the way back to the sea.

000

It was a little after seven when Michael stopped the charger outside Fiona's house. He turned and looked towards the woman he loved before he reached out to take hold of her hand. He couldn't ever remember a time when he had enjoyed himself so much. Being with her and Caitlin made him feel younger than he had in so many years, and he realised while he was on the beach that getting his job back paled in comparison to this feeling.

Fiona squeezed his fingers and glanced behind her, looking into the back seat where their daughter had grown suspiciously quiet sometime during the ride home. The image she saw brought tears to her eyes and she turned back to the man beside her to cast him an adoring smile.

"How are we going to get her out without waking her?" she whispered when she looked back at their sleeping daughter who was covered in a mixture of sand and chocolate ice cream.

Michael turned to see what she was talking about and felt something clench inside his chest. Caitlin's head was bobbed to the side and she still held her half eaten, soggy ice cream cone in her hand. Her hat had slipped sideways, gravitating with her head when she had succumbed to sleep and she looked completely adorable.

"I'll bring her in if you get the door," he told her without taking his eyes off of their daughter's sleeping form.

"She was exhausted," Fiona told him in a whisper before she turned to look at him. Her eyes travelled over his features and she couldn't help but reach out and wrap her fingers around his. "It was a good day wasn't it?"

Michael smiled when he turned back around to face her, his gaze meeting hers. "It was."

"Maybe we'll do it again some time," she sighed before she glanced back towards her daughter. "I just wish we could have been with her all the other times too."

Michael nodded silently and squeezed her fingers, "Me too, Fi…"

They kept their hands joined for a few more moments, taking the time to draw strength from each other before they slowly started to pull away. Fiona glanced at him one more time, casting him a small smile before she opened her door and climbed out. Pulling the charger seat forward she waited for Michael to come around her side of the car before they both mentally tried to think of how they were going to get the sleeping child out.

"You're going to have to wake her," Fiona told him in a whisper when he crouched into the small gap between the forward positioned seat and the door. Shaking her head she watched in amazement when Caitlin opened her eyes and offered her father a sleepy smile before she shuffled forward to wrap her arms around his neck and yawning loudly.

Carefully he manoeuvred himself and Caitlin out of the Charger without very little effort before he turned to Fiona and grinned.

"Well aren't you the clever one?" she teased when she slammed her door closed. "Don't let it go to your head!"

Michael smirked as he hoisted his sleeping daughter more securely against his shoulder and followed his girlfriend into the house.

Sean looked up when his sister came in through the door and nodded a greeting before he turned his attention back to the gun he was cleaning on her table.

"Had a good time at tha beach I take it?" he asked without taking his eyes off of the cloth in his hands. "Ya babby loves tha water."

"Yes she does," she told him when Michael walked past her to take Caitlin into her bedroom. Shooting Sean a tight smile she turned away from him and made her way towards her daughter's room to stand in the doorway and watched her boyfriend gently pull Caitlin's covers up to lay them over her sleeping form.

She didn't think she would ever get used to seeing this side of Michael. He had been more open and honest with her in the last two days than he had been in all the years she'd known him. The worry that had been eating away at her since Caitlin arrived was slowly starting to melt away and she allowed herself to believe that maybe, just maybe, they would be able to make this whole family thing work.

Michael turned towards the door and saw her watching him, suddenly feeling the blush creep over his face. He was doing that a lot lately, he realised, and the more time he spent with Fiona and Caitlin, the vision of getting his old life back was becoming more blurred with every passing second. He wasn't sure he even wanted that life again, not after he had lived this one.

He stopped in the doorway to stand beside her and followed her gaze to the child in the bed. She was covered in sticky chocolate and her clean dress that Fiona had put on her for the ride home was sticking to her skin but she looked the prefect vision of happiness.

Michael turned his eyes on to her with wonder as if he was seeing her for the very first time. He laid a warm hand on her shoulder before slipping his arm fully around her to pull her against him in a loose embrace. He couldn't ever remember feeling this carefree _ever_ and he realised that it was Fiona and the little girl who was sleeping soundly in her bed that had breathed new life into him. Leaning closer he nuzzled Fiona's hair and placed a soft kiss against the silken strands before he pulled away.

"Are you ready to talk to _them_ now?" he asked in a whisper when he indicated the two Glenanne men in the other room.

Fiona closed her eyes and released a slow sigh before she nodded her head reluctantly. "Let's get it over with."

Stepping away from him she held onto his hand for a few more moments before she released him and turned to walk back inside the other room. Every step she took felt heavier than the last and she was torn between telling them to go back to Ireland and needing to know the answers. Sighing heavily she made her way into the room and stopped in front of the table.

"Okay, talk," she all but ordered when Sean slowly lifted his head. "Did you know?"

Sean closed his eyes and let the cloth in his hand to fall onto the table before he opened his eyes again and looked up at her, shaking his head emphatically. "No…Fiona…no."

"Then, when _did_ you know?" she snapped as she folded her arms across her chest. "Before or after they took my baby from me?"

Sean swallowed heavily and glanced across at his brother who came down the stairs with his phone in his hand. Fiona followed his gaze and felt her world collapse around her when Seamus sank down to sit on the bottom step.

"After," Seamus told her in a broken whisper. "I heard em talkin' when I came home from tha pub. Ma an' Marie were discussin' tha babby but when I asked wha' they were talkin' abou' thay wouldn' say."

"I swear I didn' know Fiona. I mean I knew somethin' wa' off bu' not wha' thay tried ta do." Sean pushed the chair back from the table and stood to his feet before coming around to move towards her. His eyes shot towards Fiona's boyfriend who was standing in the doorway, watching them with cold, steel like eyes causing him to stay where he was.

"Pa' never wanted ta keep har fer so long," he told her quietly. "Tha night ya left he told me he wa' waitin' fer ya ta find a safe place so he could bring har back ta ya."

"I've been settled here in Miami for three years, Sean," she told him angrily. "Three _damn_ years."

"I know—"

"_With_ Caitlin's father," she told him as she cut through his words. "So why did you all wait until now? If Pat wanted to bring her back to me he could have brought her when she was a year old, not when she was almost five!"

"I don't know wha' ta tell ya Fiona…all I know is tha' he wa' ready ta bring har an' then he changed his mind."

"Or someone changed it fer him," Seamus got up from the bottom step and came towards his sister with regret filling his eyes. "I wa' wit' ma tha night ya called ta say ya were comin' home…an so wa' Marie."

Fiona turned to look at him and closed her eyes when the memories of the night she left hit her full force. She should have known by Marie's actions that she would be the one to betray her but she was so bogged down with grief she couldn't focus on anything else.

_Marie laid a hand on her arm and smiled when she reached inside the crib to lift the baby into her arms. The way she easily adjusted herself to Caitlin's weight brought a spark of envy to Fiona's heart. She was sore, and every one of her bones ached but everything paled in comparison to the baby in her sister in laws arms. Reaching forward she reclaimed her child and sat back down into the rocking chair to gaze down at the baby in her arms._

"_She looks like har daddy," she sighed wistfully as she ran a finger over Caitlin's cheek. "I wonder wha' he'd think a har."_

"_I guess ya'll never know…" Marie told her in a sweet sickly voice. Her eyes drifted over the baby nestled against Fiona's chest, love brimming from her eyes. Holding out her arms she looked at Fiona expectantly before smiling at her again. "Here let me take har while ya get yer rest."_

_Fiona pulled Caitlin tighter against her and brought her lips down to place a kiss against her hair. She closed her eyes and imagined Michael standing here beside her, falling in love with their child just as much as she had. Shaking her head she settled back against the chair and smiled up at her sister in law. "I'm fine."_

"_Nonsense, ya need ya rest—"_

"_I said I'm fine," Fiona told her firmly, her voice rising as was the anger in her eyes. "Thanks fer all ya help but I've got ta start doin' this on me own."_

"_Wha' abou' O'Neill?" Marie asked innocently. "Wha' if he comes lookin' fer ya? How're ya goin' ta hide tha babby?"_

"_He won' be findin' us cos ma told everyone I'd left home…we'll be safe fer now until I can find a way ta get us outta Ireland."_

"_Yer takin' har outta Ireland? Away from har family?" Marie gasped, shaking her head as she stood back to run her hands over her face. "Ya can't—"_

"_I'm har family," Fiona cut through her words and fixed her with a steely glare. "I wantta see if we can find Michael…maybe when he sees har he'll—"_

"_He's gone Fiona," Marie snapped angrily. "He left ya with his babby growin' inside ya—"_

"_He didn't know—"_

"_But he still left ya didn' he?" Marie sighed heavily and sat down beside her. "Listen I know ya wantta find yer happy life…we all wan' tha', but ya can' take a babby wit' ya while yer traipsin' all over tha world."_

"_Who said I'll be traipsin'?" Fiona snapped. "I'm takin' me babby away so we can both start over…she needs a life withou' violence an' guns."_

"_Can ya hear yerself thare Fiona?" Marie laughed as she reached down to take Caitlin from her arms. "A life withou' violence? Ya talkin' abou' yerself thare are ya? Yer tha worst Glenanne outta tha lotta tham."_

"_I had ta be didn' I?" Fiona growled as she stood to her feet and ignored the ache in her lower body. Taking her baby away from Marie, she nestled Caitlin close to her chest and turned away. "She'll be wakin' fer har feed soon…I'll be seein' ya later no doubt…"_

_Turning back to her sister in law, she noted how her eyes had grown cold and her jaw clenched tighter but she thought it was more to do with Marie's infuriation that she wasn't listening to her offered advice. Nodding a goodbye she left the room, nuzzling Caitlin's cheek to hers as she moved._

Taking a breath Fiona swallowed the lump in her throat and turned around to see the concern in Michael's eyes. He came forward to rest a hand on her shoulder when he saw her face pale.

"It was Marie," she told him in a strained whisper. "I should have known…"

"Should have known what Fi?" he asked softly when he came around to face her. "What happened?"

Lifting her eyes to his she shook her head slowly and swallowed back the lump in her throat before she looked behind him to see her two brothers watching her worriedly. Forcing a smile to her lips she reached up to cover his hand with hers before she moved her head to rest her cheek against his hand.

"I can't do this now," she whispered. "I can't—"

"It's okay," he told her quietly as he fought off the urge to pull her into his arms.

"It's not okay," she told him as she pulled away from his touch. Reeling around she faced her two brothers with furious eyes. "Marie conspired ta take me babby an' ya all stood around an' let har."

"Fiona—" Sean stepped closer and held up his hand but she batted it away.

"Get ya stuff both a ya an' Michael will take ya ta his mother's. I don' wantta be seein' either a ya tonight, I jus' need time ta think…"

"Fi—" Seamus tried but stepped away when Michael shot him a warning glare. Lowering his arm he looked down at the phone in his hand before he handed it to her. "I spoke ta Pa' an' he's waitin' fer yer call."

"Well he can go on waitin'," she snapped as she thrust the phone back into his hands. "I don' wantta be talkin' ta any a ya tonight."

Turning away she lowered her eyes and left the three men to follow her retreating form when she left the room. Michael sighed heavily and turned back around to Fiona's brother's and fished his keys out of his pocket. He watched while they silently gathered their bags together and followed them out of the door.

000

Madeline hovered in the kitchen when Michael showed Sean and Seamus where to put their bags. He knew she was curious and much too opinionated for her own good so he led the two men away from her prying eyes.

"Yer ma knows it's only fer a coupla days right?" Sean asked. "Till our ride back home's ready."

"It's fine," Michael told him as he stood beside the door.

"Do ya really think either of us would do tha' ta our own sister?" Sean growled as he threw his bag onto the bed.

"I don't know?" Michael snapped. "Would you?"

"Ya know damn well we wouldn', an yer not exactly blameless are ya?" Sean growled angrily. "She wouldn' be in tha situation in tha first place if ya hadn' a left har."

"I know my part in this," Michael moved forward and stood toe to toe with Sean Glenanne, staring dangerously into his eyes. "I left Fiona to protect her from the enemies we _both _made. I left her with her family, the people she's supposed to trust."

"She can trust us McBride," Seamus seethed. "We're har family."

"A family that went behind her back to take away her child? Michael asked incredulously. "…_My_ child."

"Ya really think we woulda stood by an' let tha' happen?" Seamus asked. "When I called Pa' he said he wanted ta explain things ta Fiona…he wanted—"

"How can he explain away the last five years?" Michael snapped as he stepped away from Sean and turned away from him. "Does he have any idea what this has done to her?"

Sean sighed heavily and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "He knows."

"Really?" Michael spun back around and took a slow step towards Sean Glenanne, his eyes alight with fire. "Does _he_ hear her in the night when she thinks no one can hear her?"

"I—"

"Does _he_ hear her screaming from nightmares?" Michael Shoved the palm of his hand against Sean's chest, pushing him backwards as he slowly descended on him. "I'm not letting any one of you hurt her …"

"Wha' tha hell are ya on abou' McBride?" Seamus huffed when he came to stand beside his brother, "Yer tha one who broke har heart or have ya forgotten tha'?"

The anger in Michael's eyes melted away to be replaced by something else. Taking a step back he regarded Fiona's brother thoughtfully before he folded his arms across his chest. "Do you really think we would be together now if we hadn't have forgiven each other?"

"Yer a bastard aren't ya McBride?" Seamus seethed. "Me sister went ta hell an' back because a ya an ya stand thare thinkin' ya played no part in it."

"I know what I did—"

"Do ya?" Seamus asked him, his jaw clenching when his memories of the night Fiona went into labour still haunted his dreams. "She wa' screamin' yer name…"

Michael swallowed hard when Seamus looked upon him with haunted eyes. He knew he'd left her to deal with things on her own and after hearing how traumatic Caitlin's birth actually was from Sean, he knew he would never be able to forgive himself for leaving her. Shaking his head he tried to focus on how far he and Fiona had come since he'd left her but the thought of her in pain and fighting on her own…

"She wa' so scared," Seamus told him, his voice lowering into a whisper when his own memories swirled around him. "Ya try livin' wit' tha' every time ya close yer eyes McBride… an' ya expect us ta believe ya did it because ya loved har?"

"You think I don't?" Michael asked him, anger once again flaring in his eyes. "I left her because it was the _only_ way to keep her safe…do you think it was easy for me to walk away from her? Do you?"

"Michael," Sean started, holding up his hand to stop the other man's tirade but it was too late. Seamus had hit a nerve with his accusations and Sean knew he would have to try and manage some kind of damage control before punches started to fly. Stepping towards his sister's boyfriend he lowered his voice to try and defuse the situation. "Michael…I know how ya feel abou' me sister…ya'd have ta be blind not ta see it…"

"I don't appreciate being called a liar," Michael's voice shook as he spoke, desperately trying to remain in control of his temper. "We worked side by side for a long time Sean…then and now."

Sean nodded silently and snapped his head back towards his brother when he opened his mouth to speak. "Shu' it Seamus…we're no' here ta drag up tha past. Fiona trusts McBride an' ya should be fightin' wit' him not questionin' whare his loyalties lie."

"He left har—"

"Ya an' we didn' do enough ta protect har, get over it an' start usin' ya brain ta think back ta when we took Caitin from Marie."

Seamus shook his head as he sank down onto the edge of the bed and rubbed his hands over his eyes. "She wa' cryin' an' tryin' ta force Pa' ta let har keep Caitlin."

"So what did Pat do?" Michael asked, the anger from only moments ago dispersing to be replaced with uneasiness.

Seamus released the breath he was holding and looked up at the man who was leaning up against the wall, his face paling with every second. His mind flashed with images of his sister in law and her frantic cries. Closing his eyes against the memories, they came upon him anyway to steal the breath from his lungs.

"_Don' let tham take har," Marie cried, her voice coming out in a wail. "She's mine…I raised har, not ya whore of a sister…"_

_Patrick Glenanne stopped dead in his tracks and turned to Seamus who was holding a very confused little girl against his shoulder. Turning towards his wife his eyes grew wide as he raised his hand towards her face ready to strike her with the back of his hand. "Get back inside tha house now or so help me woman I'll make ya…"_

"_She's mine—"_

"_She ain't ya child," Patrick growled when he moved menacingly towards her. "She wa' never yer child…"_

"_Pat—"_

"_I won' tell ya again Marie…get inside now," his eyes flared with anger until she slowly took a step backwards, her face streaked with tears. Turning around, Marie fled into the house, sobbing uncontrollably._

_Turning back towards his younger brother, Patrick looked over his niece's ashen face and reached out to brush a strand of hair from her face, before pulling his hand away. "Take tha girl an' tell har mammy I'm sorry."_

"_Wha' about O'Neill?" Seamus asked worriedly. "He spread tha word abou' McBride…won' thay be searchin', fer har?"_

"_Fiona an' Michael can handle it," Patrick told him as he nodded to Sean who came towards them._

"_Our ride's ready," he told them, his eyes drifting towards the house behind them. "We'll need ta get goin'."_

"_I'll be takin' Caitlin ta tha car," Seamus told them when he saw Marie hovering in the doorway. Part of him felt a little bit sorry for her but he knew how much Fiona never wanted to leave Caitlin behind. Nodding towards Patrick he turned away and made his way towards the waiting car, glancing back behind him to make sure Marie wasn't following._

"_Here," Patrick handed Sean a manila envelope and looked down at it when he took it from his hands. "It's everythin' Fiona needs fer tha babby…tell har…" closing his eyes he shook his head when he couldn't think of the right words to say. Swallowing the lump in his throat he opened his eyes and slapped his brother's shoulder. "Tell har I'm sorry."_

"_I'll call ya when we arrive," Sean nodded when he turned around and began the walk towards the waiting car without looking back._

"I think Pa' knew Marie wanted ta keep Caitlin," Seamus told him honestly. "He arranged everythin' fer our trip out here, an' by tha way he wa' talkin' when I spoke ta him on tha phone, he wanted ta explain it all to Fiona."

"I don't think she's in any mood to speak to him tonight," Michael sighed as he ran a hand over his face. "Get some sleep and I'll talk to her when I get back. She's still upset with all of you and I can't blame her for that."

"Neither can I," Sean told him. "We want ta make this right Michael, ya make sure ya tell har tha'."

"I'll tell her," Michael nodded dubiously. "But I can't guarantee she'll listen."

"Fair enough," Sean sighed when Michael moved towards the door. "An' thank yer mam fer us on yer way out…"

Nodding his head, Michael left the room and moved back onto the main room where his mother was waiting for him.

"Is everything okay?" she asked worriedly as she lifted her cigarette to her lips.

"Yeah…look mom, thanks for letting them stay—"

"It's fine Michael," she told him as she patted his cheek affectionately. "Now get home to your family. Don't waste any more time."

"Thanks mom," he grinned as he bent to kiss her cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Give my grandbaby a kiss goodnight," she beamed. "See you tomorrow honey."

Michael's lips turned upwards into a smile when he waved a final goodbye to her and left the house. For the first time in his life he couldn't escape this feeling of absolute longing, and he knew it wasn't just his daughter he was aching to see.

000

Fiona was in the kitchen when Michael came back into the house. She was humming to herself as she walked around the small space to stop dead in her tracks when she saw him watching her. The smile that lifted her lips almost caused him to catch his breath when she seemed to rotate on the ball of her foot to turn back towards the stove.

"I've made some tea," she told him when took two mugs out of the cupboard. "Did Sean and Seamus give you any trouble?"

As she moved to the kettle she felt his presence behind her, her body's reaction already on high alert with his closeness. Clicking on the kettle she felt him move up behind her and brush his fingers over the back of her neck to move her hair away. Fiona's eyes slipped closed the second his lips touched her skin when he placed tiny kisses over her exposed neck.

"Michael," she groaned his name softly as she moved her neck to give him better access to her skin. "I…"

"Forget the tea," he whispered, the vibration of his words sending shards of passion throughout her body, leaving her in no doubts of where they were heading from here. Taking a step away from him she tried to regain control of her breathing when she turned around to take his hand in hers. Her eyes met his in a smouldering gaze as she tugged on his hand, leading him out of the room.

Some time later, Fiona opened her eyes suddenly, the ringing of a cell phone rousing her from sleep. Lifting her head up she looked over towards her clock, the red numbers indicating it was still early morning.

Her body ached, all the muscles inside her screamed out their protests as she pushed the discomfort away to look at the man still asleep beside her. A wave of love passed over her with the sight of his sleeping face. The last few hours had merged into a wonderful erotically charged haze, which ended with them coming together in a clash of bodies.

She tried to ignore the telephone's intrusion as she pushed the ringing to the back of her mind. There would be time for the real world soon enough, she just wanted to stay in bed beside the man she loved for a little while longer.

Michael stirred beside her, drawing in a slow breath as he slowly opened his eyes. His arm snaked around her, pulling her closer when she turned in his arms to face him.

"Hey," she greeted, closing the small distance between them to place a kiss on his lips before pulling away slightly.

"What's wrong?" he asked with a yawn when he rolled over onto his back pulling her down with him. Fiona was tempted to stay exactly where she was when his fingers danced over her naked back, causing her to mould herself against him.

"Phone," she groaned as she moved her head on his chest to look up into his face. In that moment she realised just how much she loved him; she had never seen this side of him before. His unwillingness to release her from his arms only made him so much more attractive, and she found her gaze drifting over the lines of his handsome features. His eyes were closed, and he looked totally relaxed, something she hadn't seen in him in a very long time.

"I'll tell them to leave us alone," he told her as he leaned down to kiss her head before laying her back down on the bed. Sitting up, his body protested with the heavenly torture that she had inflicted upon it only a few hours ago. Every muscle ached as he sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. Looking around, he turned his head back to her curiously, "Where did I leave my pants?"

Fiona's mouth twitched in amusement, her barely contained laughter slipping from her lips as she tried to hide it behind her hand. He regarded her with mock frustration, ignoring his first instinct to lean backwards and pin her beneath him.

"What's so funny?"

"I'm sorry," she grinned, sitting up to stroke his naked back with the tips of her fingers, "it's just that I never imagined I'd ever hear you ask that question, not since we were in Ireland anyway."

When he didn't move she pulled herself closer to him, using his shoulders as leverage as she knelt up behind him to encircle her arms around his shoulders. "Oh come on," she grinned, kissing his neck softly as she spoke. "The last time you asked that question was when Patrick realised you were sleeping with me… Do you remember the look on his face when he barged in and found you trying to pull on your trousers?"

His chest began to rumble softly, her laughter becoming contagious and he soon found himself remembering that day. That was the time when he knew for certain that she was the only woman he would ever truly love. His hands clasped hers on his chest, holding her close to him before he turned to draw her into a hug.

His lips found hers again, needing her closeness as he pushed them both back down into the pillows. When his lips left hers he gazed down at her, his fingers stroking her face lovingly.

"I never wanted to leave you. You know that don't you?" he whispered.

"We're together now, that's all that matters," she told him huskily as she lifted her head up to kiss his lips, drawing him back down into her again.

Michael's head was spinning, his whole body craving her touch as she slid her hands over him, causing every part of him to burst to life. She moved against him, pulling her lips from his in a strangled gasp as his hands smoothed over her body. Her eyes closed in surrender when his touch ignited her to leave a trail of fire over her skin until she couldn't take anymore. Opening her eyes, she stilled her movements, only lasting for a few seconds until her body cried out for him.

Moving forward she lavished his throat, licking his skin only to kiss her way back towards his mouth again, taking his breath in a powerful, earth-shattering kiss. Their arms and legs entangled into a passionate embrace as she sheathed his body with her own, sealing them together. His gasps only fuelled her desires as she led him blindly to the edge of passion only to topple over with him, both of them clinging to each other as they fluttered back down to earth.

In the post coital haze, Fiona laid her head on his chest as she listened to his heart beating beneath her ear. She closed her eyes slowly, relishing the feel of his hands dancing over her skin, the gentle stokes of his fingers sinking her deeper and deeper into contentment.

"She'll be awake soon," he sighed happily, his words seeping through the loving haze that they had created around themselves.

"I know," she smiled, wrapping her arms around his body as she tried to bury herself into his chest. "She didn't even wake up last night when I cleaned her face and hands…I didn't want her to wake up all sticky."

Michael opened his eyes and looked down at her, unable to hide the smile that lifted his lips. "I don't think she would have minded..."

Moving her hand, she wrapped her fingers around his to place a soft kiss onto his chest before pulling herself up towards his lips. "You, Michael Westen are going to tarnish your super spy reputation if you keep talking like that!"

"I think it's already tarnished," he chuckled as he wrapped her up in his arms feeling completely overwhelmed by her. Kissing her head he pulled the sheet up around them and closed his eyes knowing that this moment of bliss would soon be shattered when they both listened to what Patrick had to say

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thank you to everyone for your reviews, PM's, favourite author and story adds. I haven't had a lot of time to respond personally this week because my daughter is home from university for Easter. Your comments are appreciated more than you could ever know and I thank each and every one of you for taking the time to read this story.**

**Huge thanks as always to Purdy's Pal, DaisyDay and Jedi Skysinger for reading through parts of this for me. **

**Happy Easter everyone**

10

Fiona was pulled from her slumber to something brushing against her face. Squeezing her eyes closed she turned her head into the pillow to try and escape the feathery intrusion but it seemed to follow her. Taking a deep breath she cracked open one eye and blinked away the light that stole her vision for a few moments until she focused on the little girl who was standing beside the bed.

"Caitlin?" she asked quickly as she reached out to stroke her arm. "Hey…"

For a moment Caitlin stood motionless causing Fiona to shift upwards to lean on her elbow. At first she thought the little girl may have had a bad dream but when she saw how her cheeks were flushed and her eyes brimming with tears, she pushed the last vestiges of sleep away and blinked to try and focus. "Are you okay?"

"Mammy," Caitlin whimpered, "I'm sorry I didn' mean ta do it—"

When Caitlin began to sniffle and back away, Fiona pulled the sheet around herself and sat up to reach for her hand. "Baby what's wrong?"

Michael opened his eyes when Fiona shook him awake and he blindly reached out to lay his hand on her bare back before he lifted his head to see their daughter beside the bed.

"What's going on?" he asked, still groggy as he wrestled with the pull of sleep. "Is she okay?"

"I don't know," Fiona told him as she shifted backwards, securing the sheet around her before she tugged Caitlin towards her. "What's wrong baby?"

"I'm sorry," Caitlin's eyes filled with tears when she slowly stepped closer only to dissolve into sobs when she flung her arms around her mother.

Fiona and Michael shared worried looks before Fiona pulled her up onto the bed and wrapped her arms around her, instantly feeling the wetness seeping through the material of the dress she had fallen asleep in. "It's okay," Fiona soothed as she placed soft kisses onto her daughters head before she turned to the man beside her to mouth that their daughter had wet her bed.

Sitting up beside them, Michael slid backwards to rest against the headboard, thankful that he'd thought to pull his pyjama bottoms on when he went to the bathroom earlier. Reaching out to lay his hand over Caitlin's back he smoothed his fingers over her shoulders. He'd only known her for three days but already he had grown attached and he couldn't ever picture his life without her or Fiona anymore. Her presence had cast aside every difference he and Fiona had fought over and replaced those arguments with joyful understanding. They worked as a team, growing closer to each other as well as their little girl, and he knew he didn't want to dwell on what life was like before her.

"Caitlin, it was an accident…it's not worth crying over."

Catlin lifted her head when she heard her father's voice and launched herself towards him, clinging to his torso when he pulled her in between him and Fiona, both of them trying their best to reassure her.

"Bu' Aunt Marie said ya wouldn' wan' me if I did it…" she wailed, "I'm sorry mammy…don' make me go…"

Fiona's eyes flared with fury when Caitlin moved away from her father to cling to her, sobbing against her shoulder. It wasn't enough that her family had caused this whole mess but Marie had gone one step further to plant ideas in her daughter's head. She tried to think of something to say to tell their daughter that it was okay when Michael leaned closer towards her shoulder.

"You're not going anywhere," he told her, keeping his voice soft as he spoke. "Not without your mom or me, okay?"

Caitlin lifted her head slowly and looked at her father with big round tears falling down her cheeks. Seeing his little girl so upset sent Michael's protective instincts into overdrive and he vowed to whoever was listening that the Glenanne family would pay for what they had done to _his_ family. Reaching forward he swiped his thumb across her damp cheek, wiping the wetness away.

"O..kay…" she sniffed, her breath catching as she offered him a slow smile. "I…don' want ta…go…"

"You're staying right here with us," Fiona told her when she placed a kiss against her ear. "Why don't you go to the bathroom and start taking your wet things off and I'll draw you a bath."

Caitlin sniffed and looked up at her mother with big wide eyes. "Yer no' sendin' me away?"

Fiona swallowed hard as she tried not to let the anger she felt burn through to her eyes. This little girl had changed her life the second she came into the world and she was pretty sure that Michael was thinking that way too. She could feel him shift beside her and turned her head to watch him climb out of bed.

"You're staying here with us," Fiona told her with a reassuring smile. "Okay?"

Caitlin sniffed hard and swiped her face with the back of her hand before she offered her parents a slow smile. Nodding her head she took a step back and waited for a few seconds for her father to come around to sit on the side of the bed beside her.

"Do you need me to help you change?" he asked her in a voice that Fiona hadn't heard since she had been injured when she'd made her escape from O'Neill. It was a voice he usually only reserved for her, and now that she saw the look of adoration in his eyes, she knew without a doubt that they were all going to get through this.

Caitlin looked up at him and sniffed before she shook her head. "I can do it," she told him as she looked down at the dress she wore and unfastened a button before she looked up at him with a triumphant smile. "See?"

Michael looked towards Fiona and patted her sheet clad leg affectionately when she leaned in closer towards him, meeting him half way to press a lingering kiss onto his lips, only pulling away when Caitlin erupted into a fit of giggles when she leaned on the bed.

"Yer kissin' mammy," she chuckled as she held a hand to her mouth.

Fiona and Michael kept their foreheads together when they turned to look at her, both of them casting her a wide smile. Moving backwards, Michael gave Fiona's hand a squeeze before he stood up and ushered Caitlin out of the room.

"Come on, let's go and start the bath while your mom gets dressed."

"Can I have bubbles?" Caitlin asked excitedly when she gazed up at him in adoration when he held his hand on her head.

"Anything you want honey," he told her when he glanced back at Fiona who was still sitting in the bed and flashed her a wide smile.

Fiona watched the door close before she swung her legs over the side of the bed and reached for her robe. First Michael was volunteering for bath duty and now he was calling his daughter honey? Michael Westen was still full of surprises. Slipping the robe over her shoulders, she pulled the material together and tied it tight before she opened the door and moved towards the sounds of her giggling daughter.

000

Michael stared into the dark coloured liquid in Fiona's tea cup, lost in his thoughts. In three days he had become a father and turned into a man who had lost sight of the things that had been so important to him only a week ago. He had no idea how things had changed so quickly or when his priorities had altered…but he wouldn't walk away this time.

He knew that Fiona still doubted he wanted to be with her purely because he wanted to. He knew she watched his interactions with their daughter with a hint of sadness in her eyes but he couldn't seem to be able to tell her those words she needed to hear from him. He loved her, she must know by now how much he loved her. He wasn't a man who could spout out those romantic words so easily as other men, but he'd tried to show her in other ways.

He had so much to be thankful for. Fiona had given him a life, something he hadn't had before she came into it. Those days back in Ireland had been the best days of his life; he just hadn't been able to tell her what she had done for him. How could he tell her that she'd taken a man who thought he was incapable of feeling anything for anyone and moulded him into the man he was today. He was a better person because of her, and even though she thought he would have willingly given her up and walked away, the truth was, leaving her had never been an easy decision.

Caitlin's laughter echoed around the room when he heard the splash of water from the bathroom. She was singing loudly and creating a mess by the sounds of it, but when he heard Fiona singing along with their daughter he could already feel the regrets from the past beginning to melt away. It was time he showed her he could be a committed man who would stop at nothing to protect his family. She deserved to know that walking away from her had impacted his life to leave a gaping hole where his heart used to be. She had always been the one and only woman in his life, he just had to find a way to make her understand.

_He waited until she was in a deep sleep beside him before he let his eyes linger over her beautiful face. He could already feel the beating of his heart thundering inside his chest when he slowly edged his body away from her. Every movement shattered something inside him and he was fighting a battle with his rebelling heart. As soon as he'd got the call to leave his mind had closed off and his body had shut down completely; he didn't want to leave her._

_When he managed to move one leg out of the bed to plant his foot onto the floor, he turned his head to see if his movements had disturbed her, but she hadn't stirred. He was caught in between relief and despair. Part of him wanted her to wake up and ask him what he was doing, but she didn't move. She had been so tired lately and sleeping heavier that she used to. Some kind of male pride surged through his senses to bring the memories of their last bout of lovemaking to the forefront of his mind. He had made love to her slowly, taking his time to worship her welcoming body. He knew for as long as he lived there would never be another woman who could make him feel the way Fiona did. _

_Closing his eyes against the sudden well of moisture gathering there, he shifted his other leg until he could slide slowly out of the bed. Bending silently, he picked up his pants from the floor and tiptoed across to the wardrobe to pull out the bag he'd packed as soon as he'd got the call, and slowly pulled it out. He held his breath when the edge of the bag scraped across the wooden door and slammed his eyes closed, waiting for the inevitable movement from the woman behind him, but she didn't wake up._

_He opened his eyes a few seconds later and turned back around to look over her features one last time, already feeling the well of emotion drowning out the thundering in his heart. He had never felt like this before and he didn't know how to control these feelings that were rampaging throughout his body. Before she came into his life he wouldn't have thought twice about leaving. Part of his job was to use his assets, take what he needed and leave before they knew what had happened, but with Fiona…_

_Swallowing hard he shook himself and ripped his eyes away from her sleeping form. He had orders and he was duty bound to follow them. He knew that if he stayed she would be sucked into his lies and deceits, treated in the same way as he would be, but he wasn't going to let that happen. He had to break her heart to save her and maybe in time she would understand that._

_Clasping his clothes and bag tightly towards him he crept towards the door and pulled it open to step outside into the darkened living room. Glancing back one last time he felt his heart break when he saw the woman he loved still encompassed in slumber, oblivious to what he was about to do._

_With a heavy heart he pulled the bedroom door closed, creating a barrier between his world and hers, knowing that he would regret this day for the rest of his life. Placing his bag onto the floor he pulled on his clothes, not bothering to make sure anything was fastened. His fingers shook as he moved, as if his body was fighting against him. Taking a deep breath he took one last look around before he grabbed the bag and headed towards the door…_

The sound of the bathwater emptying brought him out of his thoughts as he glanced down at the tea he had made for Fiona. He knew so many things about her without even having to think about them. Back in Ireland he knew how she liked her tea and he'd even started taking it the same way for the time he was there. She used to like milk and sugar and even though it was something he wasn't used to, he drank it because she did. Even after he'd left her, when the façade of Michael McBride was no longer needed he still drank his tea with milk and sugar, not because he liked it but because it reminded him of her. It wasn't until Sam pointed it out to him when they met up a few months later that he realised what he'd been doing. He pushed her as far away from his mind as he could, removing every memory of her until the day she'd barged right back into his life.

"Daddy," Caitlin's voice caused him to turn around, a smile already turning his lips upwards even before he saw her.

"Hey," he greeted when she padded barefoot into the room and ran towards him. With very little effort he lifted her into his arms and placed a kiss onto her cheek, causing her to giggle against him. He shivered slightly when the water droplets from her wet hair dripped onto his neck as she tightened her arms around his shoulders.

"Can we see Uncle Sam today?" she asked with a smile when she rested her cheek against his chin. "An' nana?"

Michael held her tightly against him and closed his eyes briefly before he looked down at her. "Why don't we see what your mom has planned today okay?"

"Okay," she beamed him a smile and tightened her hold on him as she turned her head to kiss him soundly. "Uncle Sam is funny…"

"Just don't tell Uncle Sam that baby," Fiona's voice echoed throughout the room when she came towards them. "It might go straight to his head!"

"Yer funny mammy," Caitlin giggled when Fiona approached them. "Are we goin ta tha beach?"

Fiona's eyes met Michael's briefly before she moved her hand to push a wet clump of hair away from Caitlin's cheek. "Not today sweetie, nana's going to come over in a little while and stay with you while daddy and me go and take care of something."

"But I want ta go too," Caitlin whined as she buried herself closer to Michael's chest. "I don' want ya ta go."

"It's only for a little while," Fiona told her as she laid a hand on her back. "Uncle Sam's coming too…"

Snapping her head up again Caitlin turned back to her mother. Gasping in an excited breath she turned back to Michael and hugged him tightly against her before she pushed herself backwards until he placed her back onto the floor. She jumped towards her mother and grabbed hold of her hands, swinging back and forth excitedly.

"I'm goin' ta get ma new book fer him ta read," she beamed as she bounced up and down. "An' we can play wit' ma dolls."

Fiona's eyes sparkled with delight when she thought of all the teasing she could inflict on him whenever he pissed her off. The thought of her friend brought a smile to her lips when she knew without a doubt that he would do anything that Caitlin asked him to do. He was one of the best men she'd ever know, even though she would never openly admit it to him. Lifting her eyes to Michael, she watched him silently as he looked at their daughter. So much had happened in such a short time, and if she was honest with herself she was more than a little surprised that he hadn't run away.

"Let's go and get your hair dried before they get here," Fiona smiled down at her daughter and held out her hand. "Then maybe when we get back we'll go out for ice cream."

"Yesss…" Caitlin bounced up and down as she grasped onto Fiona's hand, hopping all the way back to the bedroom.

Michael watched them as they left and slowly shook his head. This whole situation was like something out of a dream and he was half expecting to wake up at any moment. Not many people had been given a second chance and he knew he wasn't going to waste it this time. He'd hurt Fiona so many times in the past, and up until a few weeks ago he was _still _hurting her. He couldn't walk away from her now, even if he wanted to. She was still as much a part of his life now as she was back in Ireland, only this time he wasn't willing to give her up. His eyes lingered over the empty space where Fiona and Caitlin had stood only moments ago and knew that no matter what happened he was in this relationship forever…

000

The ride over to his mother's house had been made in virtual silence, both of them lost inside their own personal thoughts. Fiona's mind was racing and she didn't really know how to deal with this latest situation. How could she tell her daughter that the father she adored didn't live with them? Up until this morning the thought hadn't even crossed her mind but when Caitlin asked her if her father could read her a story when she went to bed, she hadn't known what to say. She wasn't used to Michael staying with her for so long, it was usually the odd night, but since Caitlin's arrival he hadn't left her house.

Her eyes dropped down to her fingers as she clasped and unclasped nervously. She hadn't realised what she was doing until his hand came across the seat to rest over hers, creating a chasm of dread to fill her heart. Clasping his hand in hers she shifted in her seat to look over at him, worry radiating from her in waves.

"She thinks you live with us," she blurted suddenly. "I didn't know how to tell her you didn't."

"Fi—"

"How am I going to explain it to her Michael?" she asked brokenly when her words cut through his. "She's already attached to you…how is she going to handle it when you…"

Her voice trailed away and she shifted in her seat to look out onto the road ahead. She was on a rollercoaster of emotions, dipping from high one moment and low the next. Caitlin had reawakened every ounce of love that she's forced away, bringing everything back in one swift wave. She hadn't realised how raw she was still feeling from Michael's abandonment all those years ago. In some way she blamed herself for that loss and maybe losing Caitlin too was a punishment for all of her sins…she didn't know anymore.

"I'm not leaving you to do this alone," his voice brought her eyes back to his and she blinked slowly as if she was trying to process his words. "We'll tell her together. We'll make her understand that nothing has changed."

"Of course it's changed Michael," she told him tiredly, all the fight gone from her voice. "Everything has changed…I'm not the same person I was three days ago and neither are you."

"Fiona," he sighed heavily and pulled the car to a stop outside his mother's house before he turned to her. "Whatever you're telling yourself, stop…okay…I told you I'm not walking away."

Fiona closed her eyes against his words and bit her bottom lip as she nodded her head slowly. Part of her was dreading hearing her brother's voice and the explanations that spouted out of his mouth. She felt betrayed…abandoned…confused all in one moment and she didn't know who to believe anymore.

Michael's hand closed around hers, bringing her attention back to him. Opening her eyes she swallowed the lump that was caught in her throat and turned her hand palm up to thread her fingers through his. Nodding her head she tried to smile but her mouth wouldn't seem to work.

"I can't lose her," she told him in a voice that sounded foreign to her own ears. "What other lies has Marie been feeding her?"

"I don't know," he sighed as his eyes dropped down to their joined hands briefly before travelling back up to meet hers. "Maybe it's time we found out…"

Fiona turned to look up at Madeline's house suddenly feeling dread welling in the pit of her stomach. She wasn't the nervous type, but after Caitlin's outburst earlier that morning she was more than a little afraid of what lies Marie had told her. Taking a deep breath she let it out slowly before she released Michael's hand and opened the door. It was time to put all of the past to rest.

Michael watched her worriedly when they made the slow walk towards his mother's house and fought the urge to reach for her hand. He knew she was hurting but she had never been a woman who would openly admit it to anyone, not even him.

"I'm okay Michael," she told him quietly when they reached the front door. "You don't have to keep looking at me like I'm about to explode."

"I'm not—"

"Yes you are," she snapped when she whirled around to face him. "Just stop, okay…I dealt with all of this on my own before you even _knew_ about Caitlin so just…_stop_…"

Michael's eyes widened in surprise when she clamped her eyes closed before she reached out a hand to blindly grab his arm. Her eyes opened almost immediately and the pain he saw in them almost caused him to lose his breath.

"I'm sorry," she told him softly, shaking her head as she spoke. "This whole thing is just so screwed up…it's not your fault I messed up Caitlin's life."

Michael took a step towards her and slipped an arm around her shoulder. He'd been expecting some kind of melt down from her but up until now she'd seemed to embrace their situation without batting an eye. It was in these moments when she dropped her façade and allowed him to see just how scared she really was, that he really understood what she was going through.

He had caused this whole thing years ago when he'd left their bed in the middle of the night. His actions had set off the chain reaction that had led to years of misery for both of them but if it took everything he had, it was going to end right now.

"You didn't cause this," he told her as he pressed a kiss against her temple. "I did."

"What?" she asked when she sniffed back the emotion that was already causing havoc inside her body. Lifting her eyes to his she shook her head and leaned into him, "It's not your fault I wasn't strong enough to fight my family…"

Michael's eyes snapped shut when years of regret washed over him. Whatever paths they had both chosen to take all those years ago had eventually led them back to each other. He'd never been a believer in fate before but that day in Germany when he'd met up with her again, his perspective had changed.

Stepping closer towards her he opened his eyes and wrapped his arms around her in a brief embrace before he stepped away again to squeeze her shoulder reassuringly.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked her in a soft voice that he'd only reserved for her. She turned to glance up at him and nodded silently, a determined spark lighting her eyes.

Squeezing her shoulder he pushed the door open and stepped across the fresh hold keeping his arm around her. She'd needed his support even if he was five years too late, but from now on the Glenanne's had to know that Fiona wasn't alone in this battle anymore.

"Fiona," Sean's voice came from the main room. "Michael's ma said ya wa' on yer way over."

"Yeah," she nodded, suddenly feeling her confidence returning. Turning to the man beside her she reached up to his hand on her shoulder and squeezed his fingers before she stepped away from him to turn towards her two brother's. Almost instantly she could see the guilt radiating from both of them especially when they both dropped their eyes, unable to face her.

After a few moments of silence, Sean took a deep breath and lifted his eyes to his sister and her boyfriend, still a little unsure of what to say. Tension still raged throughout the Glenanne family and when he'd called their mother to tell her what Marie had done she'd instantly wanted to talk to Fiona to beg her forgiveness for the years of torment she'd caused.

"_I need ta talk ta her," his mother's voice sounded strained as she spoke. "Me poor girl has been sufferin' all these years an' I wa' tha one ta do it ta har."_

"_She's not in a fergivin' mood ma," Sean told her in a low voice. "Bu' I'll tell har ya wan' ta speak ta har."_

"_I shouldn' a forced har ta give har babby away…tell har Sean…tell har I need ta see har, I need ta talk ta har."_

"_I'll try ma but I wouldn' hold me breath…she's washed har hands a tha lot a us." He could hear his mother's voice break and then someone trying their best to comfort her until a different voice spoke into the phone._

"_Tell har I'll be waitin' fer har call," Patrick's voice sounded as remorseful as his mother's but before Sean could answer the line grew silent and a computerised voice told him the other caller had left._

"Are ya ready ta talk ta ma?" Sean asked her cautiously when he got up from the sofa and moved towards her. "Ya know, she wants ta make things righ' between ya."

Michael watched his girlfriend's shoulders tense when Sean mentioned their mother. He knew that Fiona was a forgiving person and when she loved, she loved with everything she had. The subject of Colleen Glenanne was always one that she shut down immediately and he didn't know if she would ever be able to forgive her mother for helping Marie take Caitlin away from her. His eyes widened when everything seemed to move in slow motion when she suddenly sprang forward and delivered a punch to the underside of her brother's jaw to send him flying backwards onto the couch.

Michael rushed forward and pulled her backwards as he tried to calm her down but she brushed off his concern and pulled out of his arms. Her whole body shook with rage as slowly edge forward with fire flaring in her eyes.

"I told ya befer, don' ya ever speak har name again. She's no' me ma."

"Don' ya be throwin' yer fists at me woman…" Sean growled as he rubbed his chin when he got to his feet. His eyes blazed with anger and he moved towards her with his fist clenched, ready to retaliate but stopped in his tracks when the man standing behind his sister suddenly moved forward to cast him a warning glare. Unclenching his fist he turned away from the pair of them and berated himself for losing his temper. He'd vowed never to hit a woman but sometimes his sister just knew exactly which buttons to press. Taking a deep breath he turned back around to face her.

"She's our mother."

"Yeah, well she ain't mine," Fiona hissed as she moved forward again before Michael could stop her, ready to strike but Sean caught the balled fist in his hand before it could connect with his face again, shoving her backwards.

"ENOUGH…" he growled in frustration when he stepped away from her. "This ain't getting' us anywhere…yer angry an' ya have every right ta be but don' take it ou' on me."

"Why not?" Fiona snapped when she folded her arms across her chest. "Wha' did ya do ta help me Sean? Did ya tell Pat wha' Marie wa' doin' ta me babby? Well…did ya?"

Sean glanced back at Seamus who came to stand beside his brother and shook his head. "Wha' ya on about?"

"She fed me babby a pack a lies," Fiona told him, her voice coming out in a growl. "Caitlin thought we wa' goin' ta send har away because she wet har bed…are ya listenin' ta me now?"

"Fiona," Seamus shook his head and swallowed the lump in his throat when he glanced from his sister and then to the man who hovered by her side. So far McBride had remained silent but his eyes were already beginning to burn with rage and he knew it wouldn't take a lot to send him over the edge. "Ya need ta talk ta Pa'…he's tha only one who can tell ya wha' happened."

"Then ring him," she hissed angrily. "Ring him right now an' he can explain ta us why he le' his wife lie ta our daughter."

"I already did," Sean sighed as he swallowed the lump in his throat. "An' he's waitin' fer ya ta ring right now."

Fiona's whole body was shaking when she strode forward towards Seamus to snatch the phone from his hands without meeting his eyes. Her emotions were wreaking havoc inside her mind as she fought to hide the vulnerability from the man who came to stand by her side. She could feel Michael's eyes upon her when she looked down at her brother's number on the small screen, her thumb hovering over the call button.

Michael watched her for a few moments before he reached out to rest his hand on her shoulder, turning her slowly around to face him. He knew the two Glenanne brother's were watching their every move but he didn't care about them right now. Wordlessly he lifted his hand to her cheek, cradling her face in the palm of his hand while he stroked her skin with his thumb.

"You don't have to do this," he told her, his voice dropping to a whisper. "We can go home now, take Caitlin and leave…"

"Where would we go?" she asked in a quiet voice when she lifted her eyes to his. "You can't leave Miami and we can't take Caitlin away from your mom…"

"Fi—"

"No," she told him, silencing his words. "We need to end this now."

"Are you sure?"

Lifting her hand up to his on her face she moved his fingers to pull away from his touch. She saw his eyes cloud with worry when she took a step away from him, she needed to do this and end this chaos once and for all. When she finally pressed the call button and lifted the phone to her ear she stepped back towards him and let his presence calm her tattered nerves.

Fiona gasped in a breath when she heard Patrick's voice at the other end of the phone and suddenly lost all the power of speech. Lifting her eyes to the man before her she drew in a deep breath to finally speak her brother's name, his voice causing the anger to flare inside her once more.

"Ya have a lot a explainin' ta do Patrick Glenanne an' ya better start talkin' or I'll stomp my way back ta Ireland an' kill ya meslef, ya got tha'?"

"_Fiona, I've been tryin' ta get hold a ya…Sean's been tellin' me about Marie an' I need ya ta understand tha' I didn' know anythin' abou' any adoption until O'Neill came back."_

"An' tha's supposed ta make me fergive ya is it?" she asked bitterly. "Ya conspired against me tha lotta ya, so don't ya go an' think I'll be ready ta fergive ya anytime soon."

"_I took care a ya babby didn' I?"_ he snapped back. _"I sent har back ta ya."_

"Ya shoulda sent har back ta me befer it came ta this," she seethed. "Ya kept har fer too damn long."

"_I kept har safe!"_

"By fillin' har head wit' lies?" Fiona growled angrily. "Yer misses an' yer mother took me child, I didn' willingly give har away…ya all forced me ta give har ta ya…Four years Patrick…four years ya kept har frem me, an' ya wa' goin' ta keep har…ya wa' goin' ta take har…" Fiona's eyes flooded with emotion that instantly spilled over onto her cheeks when Michael slid his hand down her arm to take hold of her hand.

He watched her worriedly when her bottom lip trembled as she clutched the phone against her ear and that was all it took for him to reach out and take it from her. Her eyes closed and she stepped towards him to bury her face in between his neck and shoulder, sinking into him when his arm came around her to pull him securely against him.

Lifting the phone to his ear he heard Patrick Glenanne yelling her name and he could already feel the swell of anger welling inside him. Fiona had been through too much alone and he was damned if he was going to let her go through all of this again.

"Patrick," he tried to keep his voice even as he spoke but after everything Fiona had been through at the hands of this man, he was finding it increasingly difficult to remain in control.

"_Who is this?"_ Patrick asked angrily. _"I want ta speak ta me sister."_

"Yeah, well she's not up to talking right now," Michael told him as he clasped Fiona tighter. "So you can explain it all to me."

"_An' who tha hell am I talkin' ta now? Me sister doesn' concern ya whoever ya are..."_

"Oh I think it does concern me considering I'm Caitlin's father."

Patrick was silent for a few moments before he drew in a sharp breath. "_McBride… Ya got a lot a nerve comin' back inta me sister's life after what' ya di' ta har—"_

"What I did to her?" Michael asked, his voice growing louder when Fiona lifted her head to look up at him. "I left to save her; _you_ took our daughter from her."

"Ya left har because yer a stinkin' coward McBride…ya lied ta har abou' bein' Irish an' ya lied ta us…I never trusted ya."

Fiona took a deep breath and held her hand out for the phone. She offered him a smile when he looked down at her worriedly but he trusted her enough to handle this. Pressing on the loud speaker he handed her the phone and stayed by her side when she looked down at the phone in her hand.

"I wan' ya out a me life Patrick," she spoke calmly and focused on the little girl who was waiting for them back at the house. "I wan' ya ta ferget all abou' me and Caitlin an' tell yer mother tha same…I don' need any a ya."

"I can' do tha' Fiona…" Patrick told her, his voice trailing off into a heavy sigh.

"Well ya don' get a choice…I don' wan' ya ta—"

"_No Fiona…it's Marie, she—"_

Fiona drew in a sharp breath and cut through his words before he could finish. "Don' ya be mentionin' har name ta me, Patrick Glenanne…don'—"

"_She's gone," _Patrick blurted, slicing through her words with regret etched in his own_. "When I came back from ma's last night she wa' gone…Fiona…I think she's comin' fer tha babby."_

The phone dropped from Fiona's fingers as if it had burnt her, landing onto the floor with a dull thud. Lifting her eyes to Michael's she felt his hand grasp hers tightly as he pulled her towards the door, neither of them looking back at the stunned faces of the men they left behind.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thank you for all of the reviews, PM's, and favourite story and authors adds. It's been a busy week here so I haven't had a lot of time to get online and say thank you personally, but I am as always very humbled by all of your kind words.**

**Thanks as always to Purdy's Pal, DaisyDay and Jedi Skysinger for reading through parts of this for me.**

**I have no idea what has happened to me this week, but I've managed to fall into a fluff pile so you have been warned!**

11

Sam was sitting on the sofa with Caitlin tucked into his side when Madeline came back into the room. She watched the two of them in silence, a slow smile turning her lips upwards when she saw how her granddaughter had captured her friend's heart. She couldn't ever recall a time when she had heard Sam read a children's story and make funny voices while he did it, and she didn't think she would ever grow tired of hearing the laughter from the child beside him.

So many things had changed over the last few days, changes that were for the better. She'd seen her son and his girlfriend growing closer every day before Caitlin appeared, but up until her arrival she hadn't known just how much they had loved each other all those years ago. The romantic in her liked to think that they were going to become a happy family that would one day grow with more children, but with Michael and Fiona, life had never been easy.

Caitlin looked up from her place at Sam's side and beamed a smile towards her, melting her from the inside out. Her features were so much like her mother's, with her petite frame and glowing smile. Her cobalt eyes held so much wisdom for someone so young, much like her father had when he was a child. This little girl had already been through so much but she had managed to cement their family together more solidly in the short time she'd been here, than Madeline herself had been able to do in all of her years.

She could hear Caitlin's infectious giggles when Sam read her the story using a variety of voices that only seemed to cause her to laugh harder. She couldn't ever remember seeing this side of him before and she couldn't help but wonder how different his life would have been if he'd settled down all those years ago.

"Let's hear you do the mouse," Sam grinned down at the little girl beside him when he pointed to the brightly coloured picture. "Now I can't ever remember seein' a mouse wearing a dress but maybe I'm not lookin' in the right places!"

Caitlin giggled excitedly when she leaned into his side, "Uncle Sam…mouses don' wear dresses…"

"They don't?" he asked, feigning surprise. "Really?"

"Noooooo, silly…thay eat cheese an' say squeak…squeak…"

Sam and Madeline both stopped what they were doing and looked first at Caitlin and then back to each other before they both burst into spontaneous laughter. This little girl was infectious with her innocent laughter and contagious smile, and Madeline couldn't honestly remember what life had been like without her.

Lifting his hand to Caitlin's head, Sam ruffled her hair and leaned down to plant a kiss onto her head before he ushered her forward off of the couch so he could stand up.

"I think it's time for your grandma to read you a story, Uncle Sammy needs to stretch his legs for a while."

Madeline shook her head and knew Sam was missing his beer in the same way she was missing her cigarettes. She had promised both Michael and Fiona that she wouldn't smoke in front of their daughter, and by the way Sam was looking longingly at the fridge she guessed he'd made the same promise not to drink beer.

"Come on honey," Madeline grinned when she held out her hand. "Do you want to come and help me make some muffins?"

"Yessssss," Caitlin squealed as she bounced towards her grandmother to hold onto her hand. "Can we make blueberry one's?"

"Blueberry?" Madeline asked curiously when she looked down at the little girl beside her. "I don't think your mom has them—"

"She does, she brought some fer daddy an' put tham in tha fridge." Moving forward Caitlin stood on tiptoe and grasped hold of the fridge handle, pulling hard on the metal until it snapped downwards and the door opened.

Madeline helped her pull the door all the way open but stopped suddenly when she saw the entire contents in the refrigerator. She had been to Michael's loft enough times to know that the contents of Fiona's refrigerator mirrored that of her sons. If she didn't know better she would have sworn that they were living together but she knew better than to come out and ask. In the past if she'd needed to know anything about her son she had to ask Fiona, and even then it was hit or miss whether she got the information she wanted.

"See," Caitlin told her with a wide smile when her grandmother couldn't seem to see the berries in a plastic tray. "Thare thay are."

Madeline shook herself out of her musings and smiled down at the little girl beside her before she lifted the tray of berries out and placed them onto the breakfast bar. "Do you know your daddy loved blueberries when he was little too?"

"Yep," Caitlin grinned when she snuck a berry and popped it into her mouth. "Mammy told me."

Madeline opened her mouth in surprise and was about to ask Caitlin what else her mother had told her when the front door flew open to reveal a very anxious Fiona. Her eyes were wide and red rimmed showing the tell tale signs of tears, something neither she nor Sam were accustomed to seeing.

"Oh my god, honey…what happened?" Madeline gasped worriedly when she saw Sam already making his way towards Fiona's trembling form.

"I'm okay," Fiona told him in a gasp when she caught sight of her daughter and propelled herself towards her to scoop her up in her arms. Her arms wound around the little girl as she held her tightly against her until Michael came through the door with the same uneasy expression on his face.

Fiona looked at her boyfriend with a mixture of relief and worry in her eyes, and slowly started walking towards him with their daughter in her arms.

"Mammy?" Caitlin asked curiously when she reached down to turn her mother's face towards her with one of her hands. "Are ya sad?"

"No baby," Fiona swallowed the lump in her throat and clamped her eyes closed, as she held her daughter tighter. Opening her eyes again she pulled back to offer the little girl a reassuring smile before pressing another kiss to her cheek. "I just missed you."

Caitlin pressed her cheek against her mother's, holding her tightly against her before she moved back a little to look into her eyes. "Nana an' me a makin' muffins…do ya wan' ta see?"

"You are?" Fiona asked in a voice that was caught between a laugh and a sob. "I'll look in a little while, okay?"

"Okay," Caitlin grinned as she snuggled into her mother. "Uncle Sam read me a story. He wa' funny mammy…he made tha mouse say squeak…squeak…"

Pressing a kiss to Caitlin's cheek she pulled her into a tight embrace before Michael came to stroke his fingers across her dark hair. He too had been anxious on the ride back from his mother's house, cursing at every driver and stop sign that had slowed them down. Nothing could have prepared him for the sheer fear of the possibility of losing the child who had become such a big part of his life. He knew it was irrational but the need to protect Fiona and Caitlin seemed to occupy his every thought, and he didn't know if he could ever live without either of them again.

"He did huh?" Fiona asked as she lifted her eyes to her friend who averted his gaze and looked down at his feet. "Maybe we'll have to ask Uncle Sam over more often."

"Yesssss," Caitlin beamed. "Can we go fer ice cream soon?"

"Soon," Fiona told her when she started to feel herself relax a little. The thought of losing this little girl terrified her more than anything she'd ever known. Leaving her behind had ripped a hole right through her heart and getting her back had created a chasm of worry. Taking a breath she tried to think of something to say but her voice seemed to dry up in her throat. The man beside her squeezed her shoulder and focused on his daughter when she clung to her mother.

"Have you been sneaking my blueberries?" Michael asked with a small chuckle when he wiped some purple juice away from Caitlin's mouth.

"_Our_ blueberries daddy," she told him with a triumphant smile. "Mammy said, didn' ya mammy?"

Fiona shook away the fear that had occupied every corner of her mind on the way over here. Pulling back slightly she smiled down at the little girl who had her arms wrapped around her shoulders and nodded emphatically. "Yes daddy," she laughed when she turned her head to look into Michael's eyes. "They're for you and _your_ daughter to share."

Caitlin's laughter drew her eyes back to her and she couldn't seem to stop her own smile from lifting her lips. Opening her mouth to ask her daughter what was so funny, the little girl in her arms cast her a beaming smile.

"He's not yer daddy, mammy, he's _my _daddy!"

"Yeah?" Fiona asked, her whole body feeling so much lighter when she reached down to tickle her daughter until she squealed for her father to help her. Pulling her tighter one last time, Fiona placed her onto the floor and leaned into Michael's side when she ran back towards her grandmother and grabbed her hand.

"Come on nana…can I use tha spoon?"

Madeline glanced at her granddaughter briefly before returning her worried eyes back towards her son and his girlfriend. She knew something was seriously wrong but she also knew how to distract a child from feeling the tension in the room. Nodding to Sam she waited for him to usher Michael and Fiona outside before she turned her attention back towards the little girl who was already chewing on more blueberries.

"Okay sweetheart," she grinned when she handed the little girl a wooden spoon. "Let's make some muffins."

000

When they were outside Sam pulled the door closed and turned to the two people who had seemed to gravitate towards one another again. Shaking his head he folded his arms across his chest and watched them for a few seconds before he couldn't take the silence any longer.

"Okay, what am I missing here?" he asked. "What happened with your brother?

Fiona drew in a sharp breath and cast her eyes upwards staring into the cloudless sky before blowing her breath out slowly. Lowering her gaze she turned to Sam who was watching her worriedly and for a moment she couldn't find the words to say to him. She could feel Michael's movement beside her, his closeness giving her the strength she needed to get through this whole mess.

"Marie's coming here," she hissed, the words slipping from her lips. "That _woman_ took my child and now she's coming to try and take her again—"

"Fiona, that's not going to happen," Michael tried to calm her but his words only seemed to infuriate her more. He held out his hand to her in an effort to make her see sense but she shook her head and stepped away.

"How can you be sure? I know what she's capable of Michael. She talked my own mother into convincing me that my daughter would be better off without me…she's manipulated everyone around her, even my brother."

"Fiona…" Michael started, not really knowing what to say to her. Moving closer he tried to offer some kind of comfort but stopped when he saw the desolation in her eyes.

Holding up her hand to silence him she turned away from the two men to look at the door again, "I'll always be grateful to her for helping me when Caitlin was born, but after that…" her voice trailed away when she looked towards the closed door that led back to her daughter. Sighing heavily she glanced back at Michael and took a step backwards.

"I'll be back in a minute…"

Michael and Sam watched her silently when she moved back inside the house, both of them unsure of what to say. When she had gone, Michael turned to Sam before taking a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to him.

"What's this Mike?" Sam asked when he looked down at the writing on the piece of paper his friend had handed to him. "This looks like..."

Michael's eyes shot back towards the closed door before he ushered Sam away from the house. "It is…I…uh…I need you to ask around your real estate friends and see if any of them have got something for us."

"Three bedrooms?" Sam asked curiously. "Are you sure you wanna do this now Mike? I mean I know you've got a family now, but are you sure you and Fi are ready for this?"

"Right now I'm not sure of anything," Michael sighed as he rubbed the palms of his hands across his eyes before folding his arms across his chest. "All I know is that we can't stay here, not when we don't know if it was Marie who led O'Neill to Fiona's door."

"Ahh, I'm with ya, you want a safe house—"

"Or a permanent one," Michael nodded, "Depending how things go."

"Okay, I'll see what I can do brother," Sam nodded and placed the paper in his pocket. "I take it you want it like yesterday?"

"As soon as you can," Michael told him in a low voice as he kept his eyes on the door. "I haven't talked to Fiona yet so…"

"Between you and me, got it," Sam nodded and tapped his nose. "So, what happened with the Glenanne tribe? I thought it was all set for Sean and his brother to go home."

"It was, but when Fi spoke to Pat…it wasn't good," Michael's voice came out on a sigh and he realised that he didn't really know how this whole fiasco was going to end. "Patrick wasn't sure about Marie."

"What?" shaking his head in confusion, Sam looked at Michael for an explanation. "Sure about what? That his wife is a nut?"

Both men startled slightly when the door opened to reveal a more relaxed Fiona. Looking towards her boyfriend she cast him a wide smile when she stepped towards him. "I think she's teaching your mom how to cook!"

"Well at least someone should," Sam scoffed only to hold up his hands in surrender when Michael shot him an incredulous glare.

"So what are you boys talking about out here?" she asked as she came to stand beside Michael, close enough for his body heat to merge with hers. Folding her arms across her chest she watched them both suspiciously for a few moments before she shook her head in annoyance.

"I was about to tell him what happened with Patrick," Michael sighed when he turned to gage her reaction.

Fiona nodded slowly and turned her attention to the older man who was watching both of them intently.

"He thinks she's coming for Caitlin," she told him lowly as she tried to keep the anger from her voice. "And my brother knows if she tries anything I won't hesitate in putting a bullet in her head."

"Fiona…" Michael turned his worried gaze onto her and watched the hatred glowing in her eyes. He knew Fiona's violent streak better than anyone, and he knew from experience when it came to protecting the people she loved, Fiona Glenanne was a force to be reckoned with. Opening his mouth to tell her that he wouldn't let it get that far, she took him by surprise when she spoke again, her words low and deadly.

"I'll kill her Michael. If she comes to take our daughter I'll make sure she's shipped back to Ireland in pieces."

"Fi—"

"I'll kill her Michael," she promised, her voice dipping low as she straightened herself up to her full height. "She robbed me of my baby and now she wants to take her from me again…I'll die before I let her…she'll have to kill me before I let her take Caitlin away…"

Michael stepped forward and placed his hands on her shoulders, turning her around to face him. Time seemed to slow and neither of them seemed to remember the man who was standing beside them when they lost themselves in each other and the moment. Moving forward Michael placed a kiss onto her forehead before he pulled back to gaze down into her eyes. "I won't let her get near Caitlin or you, okay?"

"But how—"

"Fiona," he held her shoulders tighter, rubbing his thumbs over her skin. "I won't let her take our daughter from us…okay?"

Fiona could see the sincerity in his eyes and nodded slowly despite the raging of her heartbeat in her ears. Taking a breath she swallowed the lump in her throat and felt a lone tear slip over her cheek despite her attempts to stop it. Before she could wipe it away Michael's hand came up to caress her cheek as he wiped the wetness away with his thumb.

"Okay?" he asked again, his eyes imploring her to believe him. He could see by the look in her eyes that she was trying so hard to believe that he was going to be with her for this. He knew his actions in the past hadn't given her a lot of reasons to trust him but they had become so much closer in the last few months. Stepping closer he tilted her face upwards and bent to kiss her, his lips lingering over hers for a few moments before he pulled away to gaze down at her. "I promise you I won't let anything happen to her."

Fiona's voice caught on a sob as she nodded her head only to step towards him to bury herself into his embrace. She seemed to be on a constant wave of different emotions that she couldn't control. She hadn't even got this teary when she was pregnant so she couldn't understand why things seemed so perfect one moment and desolate the next.

"I can't lose her again…I can't—"

"I know," he soothed as he tugged her tighter. "It's okay…"

Sam looked down at his feet and coughed awkwardly to let them know that he was still there and an unwilling witness to this new found bond between them. Lifting his eyes to his two friends he was suddenly struck by how good they looked together and he couldn't understand why he hadn't seen it before. Fiona hadn't always been his first choice for his best friend but he had come to respect her for her friendship and her loyalty. He would never openly admit it to either of them but he had become more than a little fond of her.

"Listen, I don't really know what's gone on with the pair a ya but if you two need help with that little girl," he held his hand towards the front door, "count me in, okay."

Fiona moved away from Michael and allowed her eyes to linger over her friend. Sam Axe had become so important to all of them, even her, and she knew Caitlin had come to adore him in the short time she'd known him. Stepping forward she patted his arm and sighed heavily before she nodded towards the man she loved.

"Thanks Sam," she told him affectionately. "That means a lot."

"Hey no problem sister, if someone is comin' to town to take Caitlin anywhere they'll have to get through me first," he told her honestly.

Michael nodded thankfully and laid his hand on Fiona's shoulder, turning her attention back to him. "If she's on her way to Miami we need to take Caitlin somewhere safe until this is all over."

"I'm not taking her to the loft if that's—"

"Not the loft," Michael sighed, his voice cutting through her words. "I was thinking somewhere a little more…homely…"

"Homely?" Fiona asked in exasperation. "You're talking about your mother's house? Michael, if Marie knew how to find me here don't you think she'll know where to find us at your mother's?"

"I wasn't going to suggest my mother's," he told her. "I was thinking somewhere a little bigger and more…permanent…"

Sam took a step back and shook his head in embarrassment. "Listen, this sounds a little more private and strictly on the need to know…so I'll…uh…"

Turning away from them he moved back towards the door and pushed it open. He knew where this conversation was heading since he had been privy to his best friends intentions only a few minutes before. Glancing back towards his two friends he sighed heavily and found himself hoping that Michael wouldn't screw this whole situation up.

000

"Uncle Sam," Caitlin squealed in delight when she held up her sticky hands for him to see. "Look at me, I'm cookin'."

Sam could feel his insides melt when he moved towards his friend's little girl. She had flour matted in her hair and blueberry juice around her lips but she was the most adorable child he'd ever known. Leaning over the breakfast bar he looked down into the remnants of what was left of the muffin mixture before he cast her a wide grin.

"Well that's great honey, did ya do it all by yourself?"

"Noooo silly," Caitlin giggled as she carefully climbed down from the stool she was on to take the bowl towards her grandmother. "Nana helped, didn' ya nana?"

Madeline looked down at the child beside her and bent to kiss her head before she took the bowl from her hands. "I sure did sweetheart…if you bring your stool over here you can wash up the spoons for me."

"Yesssss…" Caitlin gasped excitedly and moved towards her stool, lugging it towards the sink and huffing out a breath as she moved.

"Do ya need any help with movin' that li'l darlin'?" Sam asked when he could see Caitlin trying to move the stool that was almost as big as she was.

"Nope…I can do it," she told him when she pushed the stool to the right position and climbed up onto it before offering him a triumphant smile. "See Uncle Sam…I did it."

"You sure did," he told her as he caught Madeline's curious gaze. He knew she was going to ask where Michael and Fiona were but before he could answer the front door opened and the pair in question walked into the room.

There seemed to be an air of calm surrounding both of them and he couldn't miss the unmistakable gleam in Fiona's eyes. Turning slightly she smiled wistfully at the man behind her, her eyes lighting with an emotion Sam had rarely seem emanating from her. He couldn't remember a time when he had seen either of them so content, and he could only guess that the conversation regarding the living arrangements had gone well.

Fiona moved away from Michael to walk into the kitchen, wrapping her arms around her daughter from behind. The family scene sparked a deep set longing from deep inside Sam's heart and for a brief moment he was flooded with regret but it soon passed when Michael came to stand by his side.

"So, I guess you'll be needing that house now?"

Michael's eyes shot to his before his lips turned upwards into a slow smile. Sam had known this man for a very long time and he couldn't ever remember seeing him like this before, looking so…happy.

"I spoke to Sean and he seems to think it'll take at least four days for Marie to get into Miami. Patrick called him to let him know she left without taking any of her papers, and only minimal clothes so she's not intending to stay for long." Looking over towards Fiona who was helping Caitlin dry some utensils, he smiled wistfully before glancing back across at his friend. "We need somewhere away from here but close enough to my mom's…somewhere temporary…for now."

"Sure thing brother," Sam told him cheerfully as he slapped him on the back before he pulled his phone out of his pocket. "I'll see what I can do."

Michael nodded his thanks when his friend scrolled down his list of contacts in his phone and walked towards the table to grab some paper and one of Caitlin's crayons before he sat down. Whether this was the right thing for them or not he knew that one time or another, Fiona and Michael would eventually see sense and settle down into their own kind of life. They weren't a conventional couple and they had a habit of doing things backwards but he only had to see them together to know that they were happy. Looking towards his friend he could see that Michael was quietly watching his new family and keeping a close eye on the little girl who had captured all of their hearts. In that moment Sam knew that whatever it took he would be there to help them every step of the way, in any way he could…

Michael sighed heavily when he watched his daughter chatting happily to her mother and he couldn't honestly think of any other time that he'd seen Fiona so content. In all the years he'd known her she still had the capacity to surprise him and cause his defences to topple around him. She was his conscience; she made him a better man. In her he had found a lover and a best friend, he just hadn't realised before that out of the two of them she was the one who seemed to have all of the answers.

"_Are you sure you want this Michael?" she asked him worriedly when he told her what he'd asked Sam to do. "A few weeks ago you were doing everything you could to get away from Miami and now you're saying you want something permanent."_

"_Fi," he sighed as he stepped forward to place his hands on her shoulders to keep her from pacing. "I've thought about this—"_

"_In three days?" she asked in exasperation, pulling away from him. Turning away she sighed heavily before she moved back around to face him, worry evident in her eyes. "Are you telling me that you've decided you want this life? Now?"_

_Michael ran his fingers through his hair and tried not to let his frustration seep into his words. Yes he had been an idiot and he knew it. He'd said things to her that were cruel and he couldn't take them back but he was trying so hard to make her see that he'd changed._

"_We need to take Caitlin somewhere safe, so why can't we just take things slow and see what happens?"_

"_Slow?" she snapped, whirling around to face him. "Don't you think the last few years have been slow enough?"_

"_Fi—"_

"_I know what this is about Michael and despite you trying to tell me you want to be with me, this is about Caitlin. We both know we wouldn't even be having this conversation if she wasn't here." Turning away from him she drew in a shaky breath and tried to push the past behind her but she couldn't seem to let it go. "You didn't even want me here. You tried everything you could to get away and now because you suddenly want to play happy families I have to be okay with it?"_

"_Fiona that's not…" sighing heavily he moved towards her and laid his hand on her shoulder, manoeuvring her so she was facing him. "This is about us, you and me…"_

"_And Caitlin?"_

"_And Caitlin," he nodded, his lips lifting upwards into a smile when his eyes met hers. "I'm trying to do things right, the way they should have been done a long time ago."_

"_Yeah, well we were different people a long time ago," she sighed as she gazed up at him. "Are you sure this is what you want?_

"_I was hoping it was what you wanted too."_

_Fiona lowered her eyes to his chest and tried to shake away the irrational fear that had suddenly crept over her. What if it didn't work and they only ended up hating each other? She knew relationships didn't come with a guarantee but right now she wished for one anyway. Lifting her eyes back up to his she lost herself in the depth of his gaze when she could see the honesty in his cobalt depths._

"_Okay," she nodded slowly and stepped closer to lay her hand on his chest. "We give it a try until we know Caitlin is safe and if we work out…then…what, something more permanent?"_

"_If that's what you want," he told her softly. "Anything you want Fi…"_

"_Okay," she nodded, her eyes flooding with delight when she suddenly realised what had just happened. "Let's do it!"_

_Moving forward she pressed her lips to his, lingering there for a few seconds before she pulled away to gage his reaction. "You're not running away?"_

_Michael shook his head slowly as a smile lit his face. "I'm not running…"_

_Moving towards him again she stayed close, their lips a mere breath apart. "You really want this?"_

_Moving forward Michael captured her lips in a kiss that left her in no doubt that this was exactly what he wanted. When he slowly pulled away he smiled down at her, gazing into her eyes in awe before he stepped away to take her hand in his._

"_I'll tell Sam to make the call…"_

"_Okay," she nodded, still not quite believing what had just happened. She offered him a shy smile when he led her back towards the door, opening it to usher her inside…_

"Daddy," Caitlin's squeal brought him back to the present, the thoughts that had occupied his mind disappearing when his daughter barraged towards him. She was giggling hysterically when she wrapped her arms around his legs and begged him to stop her mother from tickling her.

Bending down he swooped her up into his arms and held her on his hip before he moved towards the couch and sat her down on it. He had no idea why a conversation about moving was such a big deal to a child but Fiona had insisted that they broke the news to her together.

"Your mom and me want to talk to you," he told her when he sat down beside her, waiting for Fiona to join them. He met her eyes with a wary gaze but trusted her enough to know that she knew what she was doing. When she came to sit on the opposite side of Caitlin she pulled her daughter back with her and held onto Michael's hand. Fiona knew that Madeline was hovering in the kitchen pretending to clean and Sam spoke on the phone with one ear open, but she didn't mind, not anymore.

"We want to tell you something," Fiona started when she reached down to squeeze Caitlin's knee. "We—"

Caitlin gasped and scrambled onto her knees before turning around to face her parents. Her eyes lit up excitedly and she bounced up and down before she lowered her ear to Fiona's stomach.

"Uh, honey what are you doing?" Michael asked in confusion only to have the sudden understanding hit him a second later. "Oh…"

"I'm listenin' fer tha babby," Caitlin told him when she lifted her head to look at him. "I can' hear har mammy."

Shaking her head Fiona lifted Caitlin up a little to pull her onto her lap. "No sweetie, we're not having a baby, we're going to move to a bigger house."

The little girl in her lap grew silent for a few moments before she blinked slowly and leaned back against her mother. "Can we have a babby too?"

Fiona opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. For the first time in her life she had no idea what to say. Her eyes met Michael's and she was more than a little annoyed that he seemed to find the whole situation humorous. Reaching forward he pushed a strand of hair away from Caitlin's eyes before he tapped her cheek affectionately.

"Can we move to the new house first?" he asked, shrugging his shoulders when Fiona shot him a surprised look.

Caitlin jumped forward and threw her arms around him, hugging him to her when she kissed him. "Can I have a pink room?"

"I think we can manage that," he told her with a bright smile. "What else?"

"Ummm…" she thought for a moment and leaned against him as she played with his fingers. "Can I have a cat?"

Michael's eyes shot to the woman beside him hoping she would have an answer. When she leaned forward to cover their hands with her own she placed a kiss onto Caitlin's head before she pushed herself off of the couch. "Maybe when we've finished getting the house ready okay?"

"Yessssss," Caitlin beamed excitedly as she stood up and launched herself towards her mother. "Can I have a brown one?"

"We'll see!"

"And a sister?" Caitlin asked innocently. "But not a brother…I don' like boys."

"Yeah, and let's keep it that way," Michael muttered, ignoring Fiona's smirk when he moved towards the table to see if Sam had managed to find anything yet.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Thank you for all of your reviews, PM's, favourite story and author adds. I really appreciate every single comment.**

**Thank you as always to Purdy's pal, DaisyDay and JediSkysinger for reading through parts of this for me. Also another big thank you to Jedi Skysinger for 'house hunting' for me!**

12

Fiona stood in the doorway watching Caitlin and her grandmother looking through her stack of books and tried to process what was happening. Things had moved so fast since yesterday when Michael asked Sam to find a house for the three of them. With Marie's impending arrival, bringing whatever disasters along with her, they knew they had to move quickly. Fiona just hadn't been prepared for how fast things were moving.

So many thoughts were racing through her mind to create a chasm of worry to form around her. What if this move was just one huge mistake that would eventually fall apart to leave her alone again? What if Marie came back before they could leave to wreak havoc in her life again? She was just so tired of waiting for the next big disaster to hit whether it be from Marie or someone else. Life had taught her to constantly be on her guard, that there were people who claimed to love her but what they really wanted was anything they could take.

Closing her eyes she thought of everything she could do to Marie that would cause her the same amount of suffering that she'd been through. She had already opted for dealing with Marie in her own way, refusing to let the woman who ruined her life to walk free and return to Ireland but at the same time she needed some sense of closure. There were still so many unanswered questions and still so much she was unsure of, but she just couldn't seem to escape from her tempestuous emotions.

Taking a deep breath she opened her eyes and focused on her daughter and instantly felt the swell of love course through her. Up until this morning they had been prepared to take a few things and move to the loft as a temporary measure until Marie was dealt with. The loft wasn't Fiona's first choice but it had been the only option until Sam arrived and told them to start packing. Everything had snowballed from that moment.

Fiona's balance too, had been rocked even though she was trying her best to hide it. She'd tried not to dwell on her daughter's request from yesterday and she thought she had pushed it to the back of her mind, but it was in these quiet moments when her thoughts and feelings from the past reared up to collide with the present that she realised she hadn't pushed it back far enough. Another child hadn't even crossed her mind, so when Caitlin asked for a sister, and kept asking, she had just smiled and shrugged it off, keeping up the pretence that it might happen someday.

Caitlin's request, however innocent had opened old wounds that had never had a chance to heal. Every time she thought of a baby she was transported back to the moment she discovered she was pregnant, and the fear that she'd felt back then erupted around her. She didn't know if she could go through it all again.

Her whole life had changed the second she'd looked down at the pregnancy test in disbelief. She'd been terrified and elated all in the same moment when she realised that she was carrying a part of the man she loved inside her. Every single emotion that had engulfed her back then seemed to loom around her now, encircling her with memories that could have happened only yesterday.

_Rushing to the toilet she only made it just in time before she dry heaved into it. Her appetite had all but faded since Michael had left her and she knew this was just her body's reaction to the shock of it all. _

_Four days he'd been gone. Four whole days without a word and she had lost count how many times she'd gone back over everything they'd said to each other. She had been happy and she thought he was too, but whatever she'd said to make him leave her in the middle of the night would never be able to be fixed. _

_She was exhausted and she couldn't explain why. She knew she hadn't been sleeping well since he'd left. Sleeping alone again was something that she was just going to have to get used to, but everything around her seemed to remind her of him. His smell still lingered over her sheets and she just couldn't bring herself to wash them yet._

_Standing up she wiped her mouth and moved across to the sink and reached down for her toothbrush. Tears stung in her eyes when the absence of his made everything seem so real. He'd been thinking about leaving her, he must have been. Someone who had decided to run away in the middle of the night wouldn't even bother taking their tooth brush or toiletries with them. He'd even taken his razor…_

_Leaning over the sink she sobbed while she brushed, and tried hard not to gag on the taste of the mint in her mouth. Spitting into the sink she quickly bent over to the tap and sucked in some water to rinse the fowl taste away before it made her sick again. When her mouth was clear she slowly pulled herself back up and looked at her pale reflection in the small bathroom mirror. Her eyes were red and puffy, her hair was lank and fell in an unkempt mess around her face and shoulders. No wonder he left her, she looked awful._

_Her stomach growled through lack of food but she just couldn't seem to keep anything down. She hadn't had an appetite for a while now, even before he'd walked away from her. Could that be the reason he didn't want to be with her? Was she difficult to live with? _

_Thinking back she tried to think of everything that had happened over the last few weeks, anything that could give her some clue as to why he just up and left but her mind refused to cooperate. Swallowing hard she took a step back and sighed heavily before she rinsed the glass and reached up to open the bathroom cupboard to place it back inside. _

_Her eyes drifted to the box of tampons that remained unopened inside the cupboard, their presence suddenly causing her heart to lurch inside her chest. Slamming the cupboard door closed she tried to mentally count backwards to her last period but she couldn't seem to focus on anything except the sudden fear that flooded through her. Her moods had been off lately as well as her appetite. She was tired and cried over nothing…oh god…_

_Taking a step back from the mirror she closed her eyes and swallowed hard. Could she be? No…they were always careful…they…_

_Her mind flashed back to the night they'd had a huge argument over something so trivial. It didn't seem so important what it was over now, but they did make love afterwards, attacking each other in a passionate frenzy. They…hadn't used protection…_

_Turning quickly she charged out of the bathroom and moved towards the old wardrobe in her tiny bedroom and pulled out a duffel bag that her old flat mate Margaret had left behind when she'd moved to her boyfriend's house at the other side of Dublin._

_Rifling around inside the bag she moved the contents around until she came across a long box and pulled it out, staring down at it with a mixture of relief and fear. Margaret had brought this home pregnancy test a few months ago but never used it. She'd thrown it in the bag as soon as she started her period, complaining loudly how she'd wasted so much money on a worthless piece of shite._

_With trembling fingers Fiona pulled the box open and stared down at the white stick in her hand while she tried to focus on the instructions. She moved on shaky legs and made her way towards the bathroom, leaving the offending tube on the side of the sink when she was done._

_Growling with frustration, she pushed the thoughts of motherhood far away from her mind. Instead she focussed on what needed to be done and started pushing hangers in the wardrobe aside for anything Michael might have left behind. Disappointment flooded through her when she couldn't find anything of his and she flopped down on the side of the bed, sighing in defeat._

_Tears welled in her eyes but she refused to let them break free. None of her family knew Michael had gone yet. She'd been avoiding her brother's calls for days now and she knew it was only a matter of time before they came to see what was wrong. The thought of them seeing her like this brought another wave of tears to her eyes but she blinked them away. She hated her see-sawing emotions. She had never been one to allow her feelings to be so publicly on show, but just lately she was sure that everyone could easily read her just by looking into her eyes. She hated that she cried so easily. She hated that she flared from anger to sadness in mere seconds and she hated how she could feel so damn lonely without Michael McBride._

_Irritation spurred her to her feet but she stood where she was for a few moments when another bout of nausea hit her. She tried taking deep breaths to staid her rolling stomach but it wasn't working very well. It took a few minutes before she could raise her head and fend off the dizziness that seemed to overtake her as she attempted to steady her swaying body. Swallowing down the nerves fluttering around in her stomach, she took another deep breath before cautiously making her way to the bathroom._

_Fiona eyed the white tube hesitantly when she picked it up and looked into the result window. She found herself staring down at the blue line that seemed to dominate the plastic window and reached for the instructions again to re read them. Her heart rate sped up when she looked from the information to the results another three times before she allowed herself to really believe what she'd suspected._

_Tears sprang to her eyes and she gasped in a shaky breath. Out of all the times in her life when she had needed someone else, this was one of those times. Looking down at the tube in her hand she realised that everything about her entire life was about to change and the mere thought of that terrified her. She didn't know the first thing about being a mother. Would she be able to do it? What if she had to cope alone?_

_Fiona closed her eyes briefly to regain her senses and turned to look at her reflection in the mirror. This was probably one of the most important pieces of news she would ever receive in her lifetime and here she was, doing it alone. The tears she had been holding back slowly broke free to trickle down her cheeks as she addressed her own reflection. "I guess it's Congratulations ta me then."_

"Mammy, look wha' nana found," Caitlin's voice caused Fiona to emerge from her memories and bring her back to the present. Looking across to her daughter she couldn't remember why she'd been so afraid all those years ago.

Moving into the room she sank down onto her knees and pulled the little girl onto her lap, engulfing her into her arms. She could feel Madeline's worried eyes watching her when she held on to Caitlin, and she couldn't even explain why she needed to hold her so tight. Kissing her daughter's ear Fiona laid her chin on her tiny shoulder and peered over to see what she was reading.

"Peter Rabbit," she grinned as she loosened her hold. "That was your Aunt Claire's book when she was little."

"Tha's me other name," Caitlin gasped with a wide smile as she snuggled back against her mother.

A flash of pain found its way into Fiona's eyes but she shook it away. Giving the little girl in her arms a tight squeeze she released her and turned her around just enough so that she could see her face.

"I know. That's why I called you Caitlin Claire," Fiona told her with a sad smile. "Your Aunt Claire was my sister a long time ago, but she died a few years before you were born."

"Wa' she like Aunt Marie?" Caitlin asked when she reached down to the beads on Fiona's wrists.

"No baby, she wasn't," Fiona moved her face to her daughter's hair and buried her lips in the soft strands before she pulled away again. "Your Aunt Claire was so beautiful and she would have loved you so much…"

"Wa' ya sad mammy?" Caitlin asked innocently when her eyes drifted down to the book resting on her mother's lap.

"I was," Fiona told her softly as she ran her fingers through Caitlin's hair. "But then I met your daddy and he took the sadness away."

Caitlin's eyes left the book and she let it drop to the floor before she turned all the way around to face her mother. Lifting her small hands she knelt on Fiona's knees to frame her face in her hands before she moved forward to wrap her arms around her shoulders.

"Ya don' have ta be sad now mammy, I'm goin' ta stay wit' ya ferever."

Fiona caught Madeline's eyes and she could see the shock emanating from the older woman. Snapping her eyes closed Fiona drew in a slow breath and held onto her daughter, taking refuge in the little girls love. All those years ago when she had been so terrified were nothing but a memory now. She had everything she had ever wanted right here and she was going to hold onto it for as long as she could.

Caitlin pulled back and kissed her mother soundly before she moved back towards her grandmother to sit back down onto the floor beside her. Lifting up another book she handed it to Madeline and beamed a smile at her when she placed it into the big cardboard box that she wanted to take to their new house.

Fiona watched them for a few moments before she got up from the floor and moved towards the bedroom door. Taking one last look behind her she couldn't help but feel the clench in her heart when she felt herself fall just a little more in love with her baby girl.

Michael was on his phone when she came back into the main room. He was facing away from her and in deep conversation and by the snippets she could hear she gathered that Sam had found them a house. Sighing heavily she looked around her living room with a heavy heart. This little house wasn't much but it had been her only sanctuary after Michael's many rejections. This was the only thing that she could say was hers, but once again she found herself having to leave.

She had always portrayed someone who was so strong but she never let anyone see how vulnerable she really felt. She hadn't felt like she belonged anywhere in such a long time, and now suddenly she was thrust into a world she had always dreamed of but now that it was here she was too afraid to believe it. People like her didn't get to have the happy endings…life had taught her that.

She was so deep in thought that she didn't hear Michael approach her until he was standing right next to her. When he touched her arm she drew in a sharp breath and snapped her eyes to his. Her heart was thudding in her chest and she had to swallow hard to try and silence it but the combination of the past crashing with the present had made her edgy.

"Hey," Michael's voice was soft when he lifted his hand to her cheek, holding the palm of his hand against her skin. "Are you okay?"

His touch sent sparks of sorrow to her eyes and no matter how much she tried to force the memories to the back of her mind, she couldn't seem to escape the pain. Stepping away from him she took a deep breath and swallowed the ache that had encroached her heart and forced a smile to her lips.

"I'm fine," she nodded. "Did Sam find us somewhere?"

Michael's mind screamed at him to say something to her in some kind of reassurance but he was running out of things to say. He'd tried to tell her so many times that he wasn't going to walk away this time but he knew although she nodded and told him she believed him, her eyes told him how her faith in him had been rocked. He knew he deserved it and he wished he could do something to ease the worries inside her but he was running out of ideas. Short of telling her he loved her he didn't know what else he could say.

Lifting his hand to her arm he traced his fingertips up and down her silken skin, hoping that he could soothe her with his touch. He wanted this life with her and Caitlin; he thought he'd done enough to show her that. Stepping closer he held her at arms length and lowered his gaze to hers.

"Sam's friend, Miss Reynolds has somewhere for us out at Coral Gables," he told her softly. "It has three bedrooms and a garage. She said it's ours for as long as we need it."

"Coral Gables?" she asked with surprise. "How much—"

"Don't worry about the cost, Sam took care of it," he told her with a half smile. "It's her brother's place but he's out of the country and she doesn't expect him to come back for a while."

"Okay," she felt her spirits lift slightly when she thought of moving her daughter out to the new neighbourhood. "How long's a while?"

"Two, maybe three…years," he told her as he lowered his head to press a brief, soft kiss onto her lips. "Sam's gone to pick up the keys."

Fiona's eyes swam with questions but she pushed them away when she stepped closer towards him to smile up into his eyes. She had always loved this man with everything she possessed despite the pain he'd caused her. Falling in love with him had been so easy and for a long time after he'd left when she found out the truth about him, she'd often wondered if it was because he had been told to _make_ it easy.

Michael skimmed his fingers across her cheek and bent to kiss her forehead, allowing his lips to linger over her skin. He knew she was still hiding so much from him and he also knew if they were going to get through this whole thing then they had to be honest with each other.

"When this is over," he whispered against her skin, his breath fanning her hair. "I want you to tell me everything."

Fiona averted her eyes and shook her head before she lifted her gaze back to his again. "Tell you what?"

Michael thought about his words carefully and wrestled with holding her against him or kissing her senseless. For someone who had infused herself into his life she could be one of the most infuriating women he'd ever known. He hadn't given her much of himself and he knew he was guilty of filling her with doubts about his love for her, but he was trying to put things right.

Shaking his head he smiled down at her and allowed his fingers to slide down her arms before he stepped away. He regarded her for a long time, trying to read the emotions that emanated from her eyes. She had a mountain of memories that still haunted her and he was determined to try and help her erase them all.

"Tell me what needs to be packed," he told her softly, ignoring her question as he looked around the room. "Sam said the house is already furnished so you just have to decide what you want to take."

Fiona's eyes scanned the room to land on the photo album that she'd been showing Caitlin a few days ago. Wordlessly she stepped away from him and moved slowly towards the album, taking it in her hands. She realised that Michael hadn't seen any of the photographs inside the pages; these last few days had gone by so fast.

"She was a beautiful baby," she told him with a smile when she opened the album to scan the photos. "I know every mother thinks their child is perfect…but she really was."

Michael swallowed the lump in his throat and made his way towards her, not knowing what he was going to see. When he stepped close to her and looked down at the images of his daughter he felt a surge of longing that he hadn't ever felt before.

"She was only an hour old here," she told him softly as she traced the baby's face with her fingertip. "It was hard to believe that something so small could cause so much pain."

Michael heard the catch in her voice and shot his eyes to her still form. She was gazing down at the photographs, lost in her own memories and he felt his heart clench in his chest when he thought about what she had suffered in his absence.

Lifting a hand he placed it on her shoulder to slowly turn her away from the images of their daughter. He knew there were so many things that she hadn't told him and part of that was because she didn't want him to see her so vulnerable. His eyes danced over the images of the tiny baby before he returned his gaze to her.

"This is what we're going to talk about," he whispered softly as he lifted his hand to touch her face with his fingers. "I need to know what happened—"

"Sean already told—"

"No," he told her, his voice cutting through hers. "I want to hear it from you…everything…"

Fiona's eyes flared with memories before she pushed them all aside and closed the album. She knew he wanted to know about the past but there were times when she resented him for it. He'd left her when she needed him the most and part of her still hadn't forgiven him for that.

"I'd better start packing," she told him quietly when she stepped away from him, tucking the album under her arm. "We need to move from here sooner rather than later, especially if Marie has help."

"Fi…"

His voice stilled her movements and she turned to him with resolve in her heart. Taking a breath she nodded slowly and reached out to slide her fingers over his arm, tracing his skin all the way down to his hand.

"When this is over I'll tell you about it…if you're sure you want to hear it."

"I do," he told her, his lips turning upwards into a smile.

"Okay," she sighed as she gave his hand a final squeeze. "You want to help me pack?"

The lingering smile on his lips gave her all the answers she needed to believe that maybe they could survive this. Despite her changing moods she returned his infectious smile and stepped away from him, blushing under his intense gaze…

000

Fiona looked down again at the address that Sam had written on the scrap piece of paper he'd given her. When he'd returned an hour ago, he'd thrust the paper towards her and taken Michael with him, leaving her to look after their retreating forms with confusion.

At first she'd just stood staring at the door as if she was waiting for one of them to return and tell her what the hell was going on. After a few moments she realised that once again she'd been left alone to figure out what it was she was supposed to do and looked down at the paper in her hand.

Madeline was with Caitlin in the bedroom playing with some of her toys and she had been in the process of packing away some of her kitchen items before Sam had barraged through the door only to take Michael away with him. Shaking her head she sighed and stuffed the piece of paper into her pocket and returned to the plates in the kitchen cupboards, wrapping them in some bubble wrap before placing them into a packing box.

This whole thing seemed so surreal and she half expected to wake up at any moment. She was struggling to concentrate and more than once she'd felt her conscience rear up inside her when she ignored another one of her brother's calls. They had brought Caitlin back to her and she was grateful to them, she really was but the pain of the past had cut her deeply and forgiveness was something that didn't come easy. Maybe when she had Caitlin away from here and safely out of reach she would be able to relax enough to think rationally, but until then she would be on her guard and watching for any signs of her sister in law.

Pushing her worries to the back of her mind she continued to pack things into boxes until her phone started to ring again on the counter beside her. Putting down the glass vase she peered down at the small screen and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Michael's name. Pressing the phone on she placed it against her ear and listened to his voice telling her to get in her car and bring Caitlin.

"Aren't you even going to give me a hint?" she asked with a smile when she pictured his smirking face in her mind.

"_Just get here. I'll meet you out the front of the house when you arrive."_

"Okay, I'll get Caitlin ready and meet you there," she told him before the phone clicked off into silence. Taking a breath she could already feel the slight swell of excitement with the prospect of their new home together. Glancing down at the silent phone in her hand she replaced it onto the counter and moved towards her daughter's room, calling her name as she went.

000

Caitlin could hardly contain her excitement when she looked out of the window of her mother's car to see the row of houses they passed.

"Is it tha' one mammy?" she asked quickly, her voice rising when the car slowed down to stop outside of a large yellow coloured house.

"I think it is baby," Fiona told her with a smile when she looked down at the paper in her hand and then back to the house. "I don't see your daddy anywhere though."

She gazed over the dwelling with appreciation. It was a one story building with a large garage built on the side. The whole thing looked expensive and for a moment she considered calling Sam to ask if he'd given her the right address.

"Thare he is," Caitlin's delighted squeal brought her out of her thoughts and she looked towards the house to see Michael emerging with Sam in tow.

"Good eyes Caitlin," she grinned as she unclipped her seat belt before she opened the door to climb out of the car. Michael was already beside Caitlin's side and helping her out by the time she came around the side, her eyes looking over the house once more.

"So what do you think Fi? This good enough for ya?" Sam asked with a wide grin.

"It's perfect Sam," she told him, her voice coming out in a gasp. "I don't know what to say…"

"There's three big bedrooms," Michael told her when he took Caitlin's hand and led her towards the front door. "Big kitchen and family room."

Fiona nodded silently when she followed him, reaching out to pat Sam's shoulder as she moved. "Sam…"

"Don't mention it sister," he told her with a lopsided grin. "Miss Reynolds was happy to help you out…speaking of helping out, where's Maddie?"

The smile of Fiona's lips widened when she thought of Michael's mother. "She said she needed to run some errands and she wanted to keep an eye on my brother's just in case."

"In case of what?" Sam asked, his eyes sparking with amusement.

"I have no idea," Fiona told him with a shrug of her shoulders. "You know Madeline…"

"Yeah, she has her own way of doin' stuff," he nodded and looked towards the house. "Aren't ya goin' to look inside?"

Fiona's smile widened when she turned her eyes from his and back towards the house that beckoned to her. It looked perfect from the outside and it was in a nice area. She looked to the neighbouring house and noted the pruned bushes and flowers that adorned the windows. This was like something out of a dream.

"How much does this cost?" she asked when she stepped through the front door, her breath leaving her in a gasp. The whole house was beautiful and everything she could have ever wanted. There was more than enough space for the three of them to live, without falling over each other. The garage was an added bonus with ample space for two cars…it was just…perfect.

"Let's just say that I managed to get it for ya at half price," he winked. "I had to use all my charm and my _other_ qualities!"

Holding up her hand, Fiona shook her head when she tried to eradicate the unwelcome images out of her head. "I don't want to know!"

"Mammy," Caitlin yelled when she came out of a room, grinning from ear to ear. "Me rooms already pink…come an' see…"

"It is?" Fiona asked with a bright smile when she caught Michael's eyes. "That's good to hear."

"Yep an' I have a wardrobe in me wall," Caitlin gasped. "I never had one a those."

"It's called a closet sweetie," Fiona laughed when she moved towards her to take a hold of her hand. "Let's go see."

Michael watched them when they disappeared into the bedroom before he turned to his friend. "This is perfect Sam. When can we move in?"

"Now? Tomorrow…any time you want," Sam told him when he fished the keys out of his pocket. "It comes with all the furnishings so looks to me all we need is a truck and a couple a pairs of hands."

"Thank you," Michael told him gratefully. "I owe you."

"Oh that you do brother," Sam grinned. "Now why don't we get the girls and get this show on the road?"

As if on cue Caitlin came out of her new room and ran towards Michael, giggling happily when he scooped her up in his arms.

"Would you like to sleep here tonight?" he asked the little girl who bounced up and down in delight.

"Yesss," she beamed before she looked around for her mother. "Can we mammy?"

"I think we should go home and finish packing," Fiona nodded, unable to hide the smile on her face when Caitlin squealed with excitement.

000

Caitlin grinned up at her mother when she handed her another piece of bubble wrap but not before popping a few of the bubbles. Her laughter filled the room and caused Michael to lift his head and watch their interactions.

They were about to embark on a new life together whether they were ready for it or not. They'd been thrown together years ago and he'd managed to fall into her so deeply, so much so that for years afterwards he couldn't escape her memory. If it took him his entire lifetime he would spend every second making up for the time they'd lost.

"Mammy, do ya need some more?" Caitlin asked with a big smile when she picked up the large bundle of plastic wrap. Heaving it into her arms she juggled it and tried not to let it fall before Fiona reached down to take it from her.

"Thank you," Fiona grinned. "Have you packed all of your thing?"

"Yep," she nodded. "Nana helped me ta put all me books away."

"What about your toys?"

"Yep," Caitlin nodded. Standing back she looked around the room and spotted her father looking at her from the kitchen and spun on her heal to charge towards him.

"Hey," he laughed when he scooped her up into his arms. "Have you been helping your mom?"

"Yep we put all har things away. Do ya want me ta help ya wit' yers now?"

"No, I'm all done," he told her affectionately when she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Do you want to go and check your room to make sure you've packed everything away?"

Caitlin looked up at him questioningly before she leaned her cheek against his, holding onto him tighter than she had before. Moving backwards she shook her head before she placed a tiny hand onto his face. "Are ya goin' ta stay?"

"What?" he asked in surprise as he looked down into her wide eyes. "Of course I am."

"Aunt Marie said ya didn' love me an' mammy an' tha's why ya went away."

"Well your Aunt Marie was wrong," he told her as he tried to quash the sudden flare of anger that rose inside his chest. "You and your mom are all that matters to me, okay?"

Caitlin nodded her head and smiled, her deep expressive eyes lighting up when she moved forward to kiss him. "Okay."

"Now how about we go and see if your mom needs any help before Uncle Sam gets back with the truck."

"Is Uncle Sam goin' ta live wit' us too?" Caitlin asked excitedly.

Michael's eyes flared with disbelief and he found himself smiling despite his daughter's request. Shaking his head he laughed quietly and tapped his daughter's cheek affectionately with his finger. The little girl's eyes lit up with mischief and she wrapped her arms around him again, squeezing him tight as she kissed his cheek.

Fiona stepped back to check the empty shelves where her snow globes had stood before she scanned the bare room for anything she may have missed. Her eyes landed on Michael and Caitlin and she couldn't help but smile. They were so much alike in so many ways. They had the same facial expressions, the same eyes…Caitlin was like a little carbon copy of her father.

"What are you two talking about over there?" she asked with a smile when she slowly made her way towards them.

Before either of them could answer, the front door opened to reveal Sam followed by Madeline who was carrying a box of doughnuts. The smell wafted through the room and Fiona felt her stomach rumble. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd eaten. Looking over towards Madeline with a fond smile she finally felt confident enough to believe that this was going to work.

Moving towards the older woman she pulled her over to one side, lowering her voice into a whisper, "Are Sean and Seamus okay?"

"They're both fine sweetheart, a little upset that you won't answer their calls," Madeline told her quietly. "They told me they'd had a call from your other brother, Patrick?"

"Yeah?" Fiona asked with a hint of worry in her voice. "What did he want?"

"I don't know honey, they wouldn't tell me but I think you should call them."

Fiona clamped her eyes closed and shook her head hesitantly before she opened her eyes again to meet Madeline's gaze, "They've caused enough trouble. I—"

"Fiona," Madeline sighed when she reached out to touch her arm. "If I've learnt anything over the years it's that you have to forgive eventually..."

"I don't know whether I can," Fiona's voice shook a little as she spoke. "But…when we've moved from here I'll come back with you and talk to them."

"That's my girl," Madeline told her as she rubbed her shoulder. "It's not healthy to hold onto the past."

"I'm not promising anything," Fiona smiled. "But I'll try."

"That's all I'm asking," Madeline told her softly before she shoved the doughnut box towards her. "Now eat, you're looking peaky!"

Fiona couldn't help the soft chuckle that left her lips before she looked into the box only to feel her stomach lurch. Stepping away she shook her head and faked a smile before she moved back towards the kitchen to wipe down the cupboard doors.

Michael watched his girlfriend retreat into the kitchen and met his mother's worried gaze before he placed Caitlin back onto the floor when she caught sight of Sam. Glancing back towards Fiona he met her gaze and made his way into the kitchen to stand beside her before he slipped his arm around her.

"I'm fine," she whispered when she half turned to smile up at him. "I'm just tired."

"You sure?" he asked worriedly. "We can put the move off—"

"No," her voice cut through his when she placed a warm hand over his chest and offered him a smouldering smile. "I want _this_…"

"Yeah?" he whispered, already feeling the sparks of tension rampaging inside his body when she leaned in closer to him. "You're sure?"

The smile that lingered over Fiona's lips caused his heart to thump wildly inside his chest and he suddenly took a step back when he remembered that they weren't alone. Her eyes sparkled with a look her knew so well, and he knew if he didn't back away right now then he wouldn't be able to stop his body's reaction to her touch.

Squeezing her arm he left her side and caught his mother's amused smirk before he hurriedly looked away from her and moved back towards Sam and Caitlin.

"Hey there li'l darlin'," Sam beamed when Caitlin raced towards him to slam into his legs.

"Are ya goin' ta come an' live wit' us Uncle Sam?" Caitlin asked excitedly as she bounced up and down in front of him. "Ya can play wit' me toys…"

Sam's eyes lifted to his friend who just shrugged, but he could tell by the amusement emanating from Michael's eyes that he was enjoying his discomfort far too much.

"Oh I don't think so honey," he laughed. "But thanks for the offer."

Caitlin pouted and wrapped her arms around his legs until he lifted her up to engulf her in a tight hug. The little girl in his arms pulled back slightly to rub her nose against his, before she looked at him seriously."Will ya come an' stay sometimes?"

"You betcha I will," he grinned. "You'll be seeing me all the time."

"An' nana too?"

"Of course honey," Sam told her in confusion. "Why do you think you won't see us?"

"Aunt Marie said I had ta stay wit' har ferever bu' I don' want ta stay wit' har anymore," Caitlin told him when she played with the buttons on his shirt. "I wan' ta stay wit' mammy an daddy."

"You know," he whispered. "I've known your mom and dad for a very long time and there's no way they'll let you live anywhere else, okay?"

"Ya promise?" she asked in a soft whisper as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders to hug him.

"I promise honey," he grinned. "Now, I know your grandma has brought you something, so why don't you go and see what she's got for ya."

Caitlin gasped and hugged him once more before he placed her onto the floor and watched her as she bounced all the way across to Madeline to be smothered in grandma kisses. Sam's gaze lingered over them for a few moments before he caught Michael's attention and handed him a set of house keys.

"Miss Reynolds called her brother and he's fine with the arrangements. It's yours for as long as you want."

"Thanks Sam," Michael grinned when he took the keys from his friends. "If we head over with everything this afternoon we should be done by ten."

"I hear ya brother," he nodded. "You want to get started loading some of this stuff onto the truck?"

Michael looked around the pile of boxes until his gaze fell onto the woman in the kitchen. Fiona turned and met his eyes, before she cast him a knowing smile. They exchanged a look that held so much promise and he was finding it increasingly difficult to pull away from her gaze. The glint in her eyes sent warmth throughout his body, causing a slow blush to creep its way over his cheeks. He would never be able to understand how she had always had this reaction over him. A deep sigh from the man beside him pulled his attention away from Fiona and he turned around to see what was wrong.

"Sam?"

"Will you two just stop," Sam groused when he caught the look that smouldered between them. Shaking his head he picked up one of the boxes and headed towards the door, trying to ignore his friend's guilty smile.

"What?" Michael asked innocently as he flashed Fiona a knowing smile before he picked up a box of his own and followed his friend out of the door.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Thank you to everyone for your reviews, PM's, and favourite story and author adds. I really do appreciate all of your comments. I'm doing my best to send personal replies, please bear with me I'm slowly catching up!**

**Huge thanks also to my very good friends, Purdy's Pal, DaisyDay and Jedi Skysinger for reading through parts of this for me and for the encouragement.**

**For anyone who has children, the book in this story is called, '**_**Mog The Forgetful Cat'**_** written by Judith Kerr. It was one of my children's favourites when they were little. I still remember it now, and it brings back fond memories**.

13

Madeline sighed tiredly when she finally walked back into her own house just after eleven that night. It had been an exhausting day, but seeing her son and his new family finally settling into a real home had made up for everything she'd been through over the last few years. All she wanted to do was take a long bath and fall into bed before Fiona came over tomorrow.

The moment she clicked on the light, all thoughts of a relaxing night disappeared when she came face to face with Fiona's brother.

"Jeeze…what the hell do you think you're doing sneaking up on me like that?" she hissed as she lowered her bag to start rifling through it until she found her cigarettes. "Shouldn't you be sleeping or something?"

"Sorry Mrs Westen," Sean shook his head in an apology and tucked his gun into the back of his jeans. "Fiona hasn' been answerin' me calls…it's made me kinda edgy."

"Well if you greet your sister with a gun to her face I'm not surprised she won't talk to you," she groused when she put a cigarette to her lips with shaky fingers. "You still shouldn't be sneaking around in the dark."

"I said I wa' sorry," Sean sighed as he ran a hand over his eyes in frustration. "I'm jus' worried abou' Fiona tha' all."

Madeline regarded the man before her with sceptic eyes before she lit the cigarette that dangled from her lips. Taking a long drag she blew the plume of smoke out without taking her eyes from him. "What happened between you two?"

"I though' Fiona woulda told ya," Sean told her haughtily. "Seein' as _yer _practically har family now."

"She _is_ my family," she told him through narrowed eyes, "…and from where I come from we protect our own…even from people like you."

"Now ya listen ta me…I love me sister—"

"By helping your brother take her baby from her?" Madeline's eyes flared with anger when she stubbed the end of her cigarette into an ashtray. When he didn't answer so moved towards the kitchen to switch on the kettle and take two mugs out of the cupboard. "You want coffee?"

Sean eyed her warily before he slowly moved towards her to lean against the breakfast bar. "Do ya have any tea? An' not tha' cold stuff…proper tea wit' milk an' sugar."

"Well that depends," she told him with a wry smile when she turned to cast him an impatient glare. "Are you going to tell me what happened between you and your sister?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Sean released a long sigh and pulled out a stool to sit down. "It's a long story…"

"Well I'm not going anywhere," Madeline told him with a rueful smile when she took one of Fiona's tea bags out of a box to throw it into a cup. "So start talking."

000

Fiona was taking some plates out of a box when Caitlin walked towards her looking down at her pyjama top. "Look mammy," she grinned proudly, "I can do me buttons."

Fiona's eyes left the bubble wrapped plates to drift down to her daughter who was struggling with the last button on her top and fast becoming frustrated when it wouldn't slip through the hole.

Stepping forward, Fiona slowly sank down to her knees to pull her daughter towards her. It was very late and they were all really tired, but Caitlin had managed to remain remarkably alert even at this late hour. Looking down at her watch, Fiona sighed when she saw that it was already after eleven and way past Caitlin's bed time.

"That last button looks tricky," she soothed as she cast the little girl a reassuring smile.

"Yep," Caitlin sighed and flopped her arms down to her side in a huff. "It won' do up!"

"Here, let me," Fiona told her softly when her fingers danced over the material, fastening the last button together. "I think, as soon as we've settled in here we'll go and buy you some new pyjamas, maybe some with not so many buttons?"

"Pink ones?" Caitlin asked, her voice coming out in a gasp as she looked up at her mother adoringly. "Can I mammy?"

"Of course," she laughed, feeling her spirits lifting when Caitlin wrapped her arms around her shoulders. Fiona relished the warmth from the little girl in her arms, letting her love encompass her. Caitlin held on to her and squeezed her tight before she yawned loudly against her. Fiona resisted the urge to yawn herself and pulled back a little so that she could run her fingers over her daughter's cheek. "I think it's time you were in bed missy."

"Okay," Caitlin nodded only to yawn again. "Can daddy read ta me?"

Fiona's eyes lifted to the man who was busy moving boxes from one side of the room to the other before she looked down at her daughter again. Her feelings of abandonment from earlier were slowly starting to fade since she'd seen some of his belongings mixed in with hers when they began to unpack. Just that small gesture on his part had slowly started to breach the walls she'd erected around herself. "Why don't you go and ask him?"

Caitlin's eyes widened as she clambered off of her mother's lap to look towards her father, calling his name until he turned around. Moving towards him, Caitlin broke into a run when he held out his arms to her. Michael's face blossomed into a smile when he hoisted her up into his arms and held her against him.

"Hey," he smiled when he planted a kiss onto her cheek. "Are you ready for bed?"

"Can ya read ta me befer I go ta sleep?" she asked as she kissed him before leaning back to look up at him with big adoring eyes. "Pleeeeease."

"Read huh?" he asked with a smile when he rubbed his nose against hers. "Okay, you go and find a book."

"Yesss…" Caitlin beamed before tugging him towards her for a quick hug before pushing herself away from him.

Placing Caitlin back onto the floor Michael watched in amazement when she ran back towards her mother and tugged on her hand. "Daddy's goin' ta read ta me…I need Mog."

"Your cat book?" Fiona asked, her eyes already searching the boxes to find the one marked Caitlin's. When she saw it beside the couch she led Caitlin across to the box and pulled it open, peering inside. "You have four Mog books, which one do you want?"

"I want tha fergettin' one," Caitlin told her excitedly as she bounced on the spot. "Daddy hasn' read tha' one yet."

"And I don't think he'll want to read it again," Fiona told her with a bright smile when she remembered how she had to read the whole thing twice before Caitlin was satisfied enough to go to sleep. She rifled through the books, taking some out to look through them before she found the one she was looking for. Looking down at the battered book fondly she could practically recite the book word for word and she was pretty sure by the end of it, Michael would be begging to go back to the loft. Lifting the book up she tipped it over and held it up for Caitlin's approval. "Mog the forgetful cat."

"Tha' tha one," Caitlin gasped and reached for it but stopped when Fiona held onto it.

"Hang on," she smiled, looking down at her daughter as firmly as she could. "Did you brush your teeth?"

Caitlin nodded her head and moved towards her mother, opening her mouth and clenching her teeth together to prove it.

"Okay," Fiona laughed and handed her the book, collecting a goodnight kiss before she made her way back towards her father. "Night baby."

"I'm ready daddy," Caitlin told him brightly as she tucked the book beneath her arm. Reaching out she took hold of his hand and tugged forward. "I got me book too."

"Okay, then let's go," he told her, returning her infectious smile, willingly following her as she led him towards her room. When they got to the open doorway Caitlin let go of his hand and charged towards her new bed, pouncing onto it. She crawled along the mattress, bouncing as she moved until she reached the pillows and pulled the bright pink covers back.

"Come on daddy," she told him impatiently when she slid her legs under the sheet and moved further inside. Yawning loudly she laid back and rested her head on the pillows before she patted the side of the bed and moved over to make room beside her.

Michael regarded her for a moment before he moved into the room and perched himself on the edge of the single mattress. He couldn't believe how quickly he'd transformed from a man who had wanted nothing but to be reinstated in his old job, to a man who wanted nothing more than to protect his family. Looking down at the little girl under the covers, he waited until she made herself comfortable before he shifted himself backwards to rest on the headboard. Opening the book she'd given him he looked down at the large colourful picture and then down at her tired eyes.

"Are you ready?" he asked her with a soft smile as he moved his hand to push a strand of hair from her eyes.

Caitlin nodded and grinned up at him before she manoeuvred herself closer towards him. "I like me new room."

"It's bigger," Michael observed with a smile when he looked around the bare pink walls. "Tomorrow we'll put those pictures up that your mom brought for you."

"Tha cat one's?" she asked, sitting up a little to lay her head against his arm. "An' tha one nana brought?"

"I think so, yeah," he grinned, even now still not comprehending how someone so small could have such an impact on his life. Moving off of the bed for a moment he lifted the clovers up so that she could slide further down beneath them. "Are you warm enough?"

"Yep," she told him as she broke out into another yawn before she rubbed her eyes with one of her hands. "Are ya goin' ta bed wit' mammy soon?"

"Not yet honey," he told her softly before he moved towards her to lean his back against the headboard again. "Soon though, after we've finished unpacking some boxes."

"Are ya goin' ta stay daddy?" she asked sleepily when she snuggled into his side. "Will ya be here when I wake up?"

Her question threw him for a second and he lifted his arm to pull her closer into his side. In all the years he'd known Fiona he hadn't realised how much his leaving had impacted on any of the people he loved. With Caitlin's innocent question there came a flash of guilt that had caused him to question everything he'd ever done to cause pain to those around him. Squeezing her tightly into his side, he kept her close as he tried to reassure her with his touch. "Of course I'm going to be here."

"Ferever?" Caitlin asked as she looked up at him, her wide eyes causing his heart to clench inside his chest.

This child had opened him up to emotions he never knew he was capable of feeling. She along with her mother had given him the life he never knew he craved, their love holding him enraptured within them.

So far he hadn't had time to think about anything else but keeping Caitlin safe and the unresolved issues of his burn notice had been temporarily pushed to the back of his mind. He knew the time would come when he'd pull at the threads and follow the leads to pick up the trail that would hopefully lead to his reinstatement. There was too much at stake now for him to be out in the cold, he needed the protection for his family even if that meant spending time away from them when it came.

"I'm not going anywhere," he told her reassuringly as he rubbed his thumb across her hair. "Neither is your mom."

"I know mammy isn't goin', silly," she told him, a tiny chuckle rumbling in her chest. "She's me mammy..."

Shaking his head in confusion, Michael regarded his daughter for a few moments before he opened the book and lifted it up for her to see the pictures. "So, why do you think I'm going away?"

Caitlin lifted her thumb up to her mouth and looked across to the pictures in the book, shrugging her small shoulders. "Sometimes daddy's go away."

Her innocent words brought a sudden wave of emotion into his heart and he found himself pulling her closer into his side. Bending his head he planted a soft kiss into her hair before he laid his cheek atop of her head. "I'm not going anywhere…okay?"

Caitlin slipped her thumb into her mouth and nodded her head as she leaned against him and sighed tiredly. "Okay."

Holding his daughter against him, Michael looked down at the open page and kept his cheek against her hair as he started to read.

"Once there was a cat called Mog and she lived with a family called Thomas…"

000

Sean stared down into his second cup of tea while Madeline stubbed out another cigarette into the ashtray on the table. It had just turned midnight and so far there hadn't been much conversation between them. They had sat opposite each other in virtual silence, neither one knowing how to start what they knew was going to be a very intrusive conversation.

Sighing heavily Madeline rubbed a hand across her face and pushed her chair back slightly as she regarded the man sitting opposite her. She couldn't see any startling similarities between Sean and Fiona, not any that were apparent right away. He did however have some of the same mannerisms when he drank his tea and that was what she found endearing about him.

"I always wondered why Fiona never spoke about her family," she told him as she reached for another cigarette.

"Yeah, an' I guess now ya figured ou' why!"

Lifting the cigarette to her lips, Madeline regarded him for a moment before she lit it. Taking in a long drag she blew a plume of smoke around her before she reached out to tap his hand with the tips of her fingers.

"Honey, I know a little about broken families, lord knows mine is one of them," she told him honestly. "But there are ways to fix it."

"I'm not sure Fiona wants ours ta be fixed," he sighed as he lifted his cup to take another mouthful of the hot liquid.

"Have you talked to her?"

Placing the cup back down onto the table Sean swallowed his tea before he shook his head slowly. "She won' talk ta me…I've tried ta tell har I'm sorry bu' she won' listen."

"She's hurting and she's angry," Madeline told him softly. "And in her situation I think I would be too. Her family betrayed her and took her child. Did you really all think she was just going to welcome you with open arms?"

"She thinks we knew wha' Marie wa' plannain' ta do…bu' it wasn' until Fiona had already left we knew somethin' wa' off." Shaking his head Sean closed his eyes to fend off the memories that hit him full force, casting him back to a time he would have much rather forgotten.

_Marie cradled Caitlin and smiled down adoringly at the baby in her arms. Out of all of them she seemed to be the only Glenanne who hadn't been rocked by Fiona's absence. For his part, Sean couldn't seem to escape the guilt of seeing what his sister had gone through before she left._

"_Don' be getting' too attached ta tha babby, Marie," Patrick's voice broke through his thoughts when he came into the kitchen to sit down beside his brother. "She belongs wit' har mammy."_

"_Well har mammy didn' fight too hard ta keep har now di' she?" Marie snapped before she turned away, cooing down at the bundle in her arms. "I'll be har mammy now."_

_Sean's heart lurched inside his chest and his eyes shot to her retreating form. Had he just heard her say what he thought she'd said? His sister's face flashed inside his mind and he couldn't shake how distraught she was when she'd ran out of Patrick's house._

"_Don' talk rubbish woman," Patrick's voice boomed throughout the room when he watched his wife slowly turn around to face him._

"_Wha?" she asked, her eyes wide with surprise. "Ya sister needed ta run an' I agreed ta take tha babby…tha's all."_

"_She's not yer child Marie," Patrick reminded her firmly as he stood up and strode towards her to take the child from her arms. "Not unless Fiona tells ya she wants har ta be."_

"_Ya better start thinkin' of har as ya daughter then Pa' cos Fiona won' be comin' back fer har," Marie told him softly as she gently took Caitlin back into her arms._

"_Wha' ya on abou' woman…Yer—"_

"_Any woman tha' walks ou' on har child doesn' intend ta come back," she told him, cutting through his words as she bent her head to press a kiss onto the baby's forehead. "Ya ma wouldn' let har keep har anyway, she belongs with a family who want har."_

"_Marie—"_

"_She'll be ready fer har feed," Marie told him quickly, avoiding the look of disbelief in her husband's eyes. Turning away she hurried out of the kitchen and disappeared._

"_Ya don' believe tha' do ya?" Sean asked when Patrick turned around to look at him warily. "Fiona didn' want ta leave withou' tha babby…it wa' ma who insisted."_

"_An' me," Patrick sighed, shaking his head in remorse when he came to sit down beside his brother, looking at him with haunted eyes. "I think I made a mistake, Sean…I tried ta call Fiona an' tell har but she's no' answerin'."_

"_Seamus is tha only one Fiona is talkin' ta righ' now…if ya want ta make amends—"_

"_Come on brother," Patrick nodded emphatically, grabbing the keys to his Land rover off of the table. "I'll drive an' ya can call Seamus on tha way…tell him ta tell Fiona I wa' wrong."_

"_Ya think she'll listen?" Sean asked as he followed him out of the door._

"_She'll have ta listen," Patrick told him with determination in his voice. "I'll make har."_

Snapping his eyes closed, Sean drew in a ragged breath before he opened them again to watch the woman opposite him. Michael's mother was a force to be reckoned with and she hadn't hidden the fact that she loved his sister like one of her own. He should have been happy with that. He should have been able to smile and walk away but he couldn't go back to Ireland and leave things like this between them.

"I think Marie wanted Fiona out a tha way so she coul' keep Caitlin, an' when Fiona didn' return Pa's calls we thought Marie wa' right all along."

"So what changed your mind?" Madeline asked as she regarded the cigarette in her hand thoughtfully. "I know Fiona, she loves my son and that little girl more than anything and she wouldn't just give up on her child."

"She didn', Marie took har calls and told har abou' Caitlin an' then she lied abou' it ta Pa'…he only found ou' wha' wa' happenin' when Fiona called me ma ta say she wa' comin' home." Running the tip of his finger around the rim of his mug, Sean sighed and lifted his eyes to meet Madeline's gaze. "Pa' had been sendin' photos and updates ta Fiona an' never heard anythin' back from har."

"Marie took the calls?" Madeline asked knowingly, already feeling animosity towards a woman she had never met. "So none of you had any idea that Fiona was back with Michael all this time?"

"Nope," Sean sighed. "If we had a then Caitlin would a been back wit' har mammy befer this."

"So what did your mother have to say about all of this?" Madeline's voice dipped when she thought of Fiona's mother and what she had willingly put her daughter through. "Did she even try to tell her she was sorry?"

"Ya a course she did bu' Fiona won' talk ta har, she won' even le' any a us talk abou' har," shaking his head, Sean pushed his chair backwards and stood up. "I'm goin' ta turn in…thanks fer tha tea."

"Fiona is coming over tomorrow," Madeline told him quickly, her words stopping him in his tracks. "She's coming over to talk to _you._"

"How?" Sean's eyes widened with surprised as he regarded the older woman with a new found respect. "I don' want ta know how ya did it, bu' thanks."

"I love her," Madeline shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly as she returned his smile. "Get some sleep; she'll be over here early."

Nodding silently, Sean turned away from her and headed back towards the bedroom, hope lifting every step.

Madeline watched him leave, part of her feeling a little sorry for him, but the moment didn't last. She had seen Fiona's vulnerability and she'd also seen how losing her daughter had affected her. If anyone deserved her support it was Fiona and she was going to make damned sure she got it.

000

Creeping on tiptoe out of the pink bedroom, Michael took one look behind him to make sure the little girl was still asleep before he made his way back into the main living area.

There were boxes everywhere, piled in different areas of the room with screwed up bubble wrap sticking out of the open ones. His eyes flittered around the various objects and he couldn't help the slow smile when he realised that this was really happening.

"Is she asleep?" Fiona's tired voice echoed throughout the half empty room as she opened another box to look inside.

His gaze settled on her for a few moments before he slowly moved towards her. She hadn't stopped all day and he was beginning to wonder if she was ever going to rest. Reaching out towards her he laid a hand over hers to clasp her fingers in his.

"Leave it." He told her softly as he tugged on her hand to pull her away from the boxes. "They'll still be there tomorrow."

"But—"

"Come on," he told her when he pulled her over towards the couch to sit her down. "You look exhausted."

With very little encouragement she sank down into the cushions and laid her head against the back of the couch. She was still trying to process these new events in her mind and most of the time she actually believed that this new life was going to work. But despite it all there were those quiet moments when she was alone, when she had time to think and talk herself out of everything that she'd been convinced of only a short time before. She knew Michael loved her, but there was still that small part of her that was waiting for everything to come crashing down around her and she couldn't seem to shake it no matter how many times she tried.

Forcing the doubts to the back of her mind she held out her hand and watched his eyes widen when she smiled up at him invitingly. "How many times did you have to read it?"

Michael's eyes sparked with love when he took her offered hand to sit down beside her, sinking into the couch. Lifting his arm he pulled her into him and wrapped am arm around her shoulders before he leaned in to press his lips against her temple.

"Twice," he whispered, his voice breaking into a soft chuckle as he kissed her again. He had fallen into this relationship with such ease that he hadn't even had time to think of the complicated side of it. He and Fiona had always had a complex relationship despite how volatile it had been at times. Whatever had happened between them in the past he had always ended up right back by her side.

His whole life had been turned upside down and blown totally off balance by this woman from the moment he'd met her. She had been capable of slipping through his defences, silently taking possession of his heart before he even realised what was happening.

Then one day he'd found himself reacting to her voice. She had unnerved him, made him totally lose control and maybe that's what had terrified him the most. She could possess his mind with her presence. She could command his actions with a single word, and no matter how much he tried to pretend it wasn't happening, he couldn't control the flash of heat that rose through his body whenever he was near her.

"Did you leave her light on?" she asked tiredly when she lowered her head to rest against his chest.

"Yeah," he nodded as he encompassed her in his arms, his fingertips dancing over her bare skin. "It's been a long day for all of us."

She was silent for a long time and for a moment he thought she'd fallen asleep. Shifting slightly he looked down at her, expecting to find her eyes closed but when she looked up at him and smiled, his breath caught in his throat.

"I'm fine," she whispered, answering his question before he'd had a chance to ask. "I'm just…"

"What?" he asked softly as his lips grazed her temple before he pulled her closer to nestle her head beneath his chin. "We'll be okay, Fi."

"I hope so," she told him, her voice so soft that he had to strain to hear her. "I've never really believed in happy endings…"

"Fi—"

"Michael," she sighed out his name and sat back up before she reached down to wrap her fingers around his. "I know you. I know who you are, and this…" she looked around them at the stacked boxes and soft furnishings, "this is not you."

"Maybe it wasn't," he sighed. "But Caitlin changed all that."

"And you're okay with that?" The words almost choked her but she spoke them anyway. "I don't want you to be here just because you feel you have to be."

"Fiona, I'm not—"

"You never asked for this life, Michael," she told him hoarsely, her voice shaking as she spoke. "What I'm trying to say is…I…appreciate everything you're doing…for her."

Her words caused a flood of emotion to rush through him and for a moment he wanted to reach out and shake her. She was still expecting him to leave and given his track record with their relationship he knew he deserved her wariness. Sitting forward he grabbed hold of her hand and tugged her with him, until they both stood.

"This isn't just for her Fi," he told her with a whisper as he pulled her with him, leading her over towards one of the boxes on the kitchen counter. Releasing her hand he opened the box and delved inside until he found what he was looking for. Pulling out a blue velvet pouch he looked down at it before he opened it to tip the contents into the palm of his hand.

Fiona's eyes grew wide when she saw two gold rings lying in his palm and for a moment she just stared at the gleaming round objects in sheer disbelief.

"Caitlin's name is McBride and we're listed as McBride's," he told her as he picked one of the rings up and held it out to her. "Think of it as a cover ID."

Understanding dawned in Fiona's eyes and she stared at the ring for a few moments before she took it from his fingers. "A cover ID?" she asked numbly before she moved to slip it onto her finger, but he stopped her.

His eyes met hers and he took the ring from her to slowly slip it onto her finger. "Until we're ready."

Fiona blinked heavily and met his eyes with a questioning gaze. "I…what?"

"We're Michael and Fiona McBride," he told her in a whisper as he slipped his own ring onto his finger. Leaning forward his lips hovered over hers. "Until we're ready to make it official."

His words caused her to gasp in a breath but he surged forward and sealed his lips to hers, stealing the words from her lips. Both of them sank into each other, kissing like long lost lovers until the need to breathe forced their lips apart.

Fiona kissed her way across his cheek, before trailing a path of burning fire over his throat. His breathing was becoming more and more erratic as she lavished his skin, rewarding his commitment to her with every touch of her lips.

Michael's flaccid hands began to stroke her back, his fingers tracing possessive circles over her skin. Her touch caused his heartbeat to surge inside his chest and he angled his head, enticing her on as he gave her better access to his throat. He was falling, teetering over the edge of desire as she continued to kiss him. He could already feel his body reacting wildly and his fingers flexed, becoming more desperate as he kneaded her skin until his fingers grasped at any part of her he could find.

Fiona couldn't take much more of this; she needed to feel his lips against her own. The overwhelming domination of passion blinded her senses until she couldn't think of anything else but him and how much she craved his touch. Her lips left his neck to place gentle butterfly kisses up his jaw and chin, enticing him further towards her lips, needing his kiss more than she needed her next breath.

Michael could feel her heart thudding against his when she moved her arms further around his body. She pressed herself into him, increasing contact between their bodies with every possible movement. Her kisses fogged his brain, leaving him a willing prisoner in her embrace. Her kisses fuelled the pure passion inside him as he gave into her and found her lips with his own, binding them together in a kiss so full of pure need that their bodies started acting on their own.

Moving blindly Michael took a step backwards, taking her with him as he led them towards the general direction of the couch but stopped when she tore her mouth from his.

"Not…on…the…couch," she gasped when he lunged for her, lavishing her neck with open mouthed kisses. "We…Cait…lin…we…"

Her words seemed to reach through the passionate haze, finally comprehending what she was struggling to say. Pulling his mouth from her skin he gazed down at her breathlessly and nodded before he glanced back towards where their daughter was sleeping.

"Come on," he whispered hoarsely, clasping her hand tightly in his. Giving her a gentle tug he led her towards their bedroom and ushered her inside before he closed the door behind them.

Her mouth was on him in seconds, pushing him backwards against the wooden surface as she kissed him with near desperation. Her hands moved over his shirt clad chest, her fingers tugging on the cloth barrier that kept them apart. Tearing her lips from his she took a step back and caught a glimpse of the band of gold that encompassed her finger. For something so small it sent a surge of love throughout her body to disintegrate every doubt she'd had into oblivion.

Michael's eyes melted into hers, his heart bursting with love for this woman before him. He knew that the gold rings they both wore were more than just simple trinkets. They were symbolic and meant more than just a means to protect their true identities. Leaning down, he sealed his lips to hers in a kiss so tender, it stole her breath away.

Fiona's hands glided up over his chest and shoulders until she could bury her fingers into his hair, as she sought to deepen their kiss. His mouth opened beneath hers, surrendering to her completely when they slowly began to move, walking backwards before sinking down onto the edge of the bed.

Pulling her lips from his, Fiona urged him back and forced him to lay flat on the bed as she crawled over his prone body to straddle his thighs. For a few moments she hovered above him, her gaze mingling with his until his hands came up to meet hers. She watched in a daze when their fingers threaded together, the flash of gold on his finger causing a smile to spread across her lips.

His smile matched hers as he slowly pulled her down until she dipped her head to capture his lips in a deep, drugging kiss. Every other thought disappeared from his mind to leave only her and this moment. He held onto her tightly, his own need building inside him as he let her take control, losing himself to her completely when her nimble fingers found their way beneath his shirt. Passion fuelled his movements as his hands slipped beneath the flimsy dress she wore, causing her body to shake above him.

Fiona broke the kiss suddenly, gasping for breath as his hands glided over her body. He touched her with expert fingers, knowing exactly how to bring her alive beneath his touch. She whimpered his name and bit her bottom lip to stop herself from crying out when he continued to worship her body with his hands.

Opening her eyes slowly she watched his eyes darken as they blazed with desire, sparking the flame of pure want inside her once more. Her hands found his chest, dragging her fingers over him, delighted with the ragged gasp that stuttered from somewhere deep inside his throat.

"Michael," she groaned, pressing her body into his, needing him again to make her complete. Dragging her eyes down to his once more, she smiled at him seductively, enjoying the effect she controlled over his body, making him blind with passion.

Michael thought he was going to explode with pure abandonment at any moment, her touch enticing him to gasp out her name. Words of love echoed throughout his mind to repeat over and over in a passionate mantra when she enclosed her body around him, taking him to the brink of heaven once more…

000

Coming out of the bathroom clad in pyjama bottoms, Michael hovered in Caitlin's doorway and watched her sleep. Her dark hair spilled over the pillow and she sucked her thumb in slumber. He never really understood before how becoming a father could somehow complete him. For the first time in his life he actually felt he was right where he needed to be. With a contented sigh he smiled to himself as he turned back towards the room that housed the other woman that held his heart.

Fiona too was asleep and he couldn't help but notice the resemblance between her and their daughter. Her hair was fanned across the pillow, highlighting her face and for a moment all he could do was watch the slow rise and fall of her chest. Her voice when it came startled him and he found himself watching her with complete adoration.

"Come to bed," she whispered when she cracked open an eye to look at him. The smile that spread across her lips was all it took to move him forward and bring him towards her.

"I thought you were asleep," he told her softly when he pulled back the covers to slide into the bed beside her.

"Hmmm…I think I was," she sighed happily when he moved his body behind hers, spooning her from behind. "Is she okay?"

Michael lifted himself upwards and leaned across her to place a kiss onto her cheek before he settled back behind her. Smoothing his hand over her arm he slid his fingers between hers, their matching rings glinting in the darkness.

"She's fine," he whispered softly, already feeling himself becoming drowsy. Moving again he pressed a kiss into her hair and settled back against her, listening to her breathing deepen as she slowly slipped into slumber.

Closing his eyes, his last thoughts before sleep came to claim him was how much he loved his _wife_…

000

Moving through the darkness, the lone figure walked towards the windows and peered inside looking for any kind of movement. Silence greeted her when she tried the door and she could already feel her anger beginning to build when the wooden barrier didn't move.

Looking around her for something to force it open, Marie focused on a plant pot and debated on whether to just smash her way in, take Caitlin and run. She lifted her hand ready to feel for an open window when a car appeared from nowhere. She gasped in a startled breath and looked around her for somewhere to hide when the headlights illuminated the darkened windows. Lunging forward, she crouched down behind a bush and hid in the shadows while she waited for it to pass.

A deep ache filled her heart when the car passed to leave her in darkness again, and she turned back towards the door knowing that her child was somewhere inside. She knew she should leave and bide her time but the power of need drove her onwards, pushing every rational thought from her mind. She had come to reclaim her daughter and she didn't give a damn what it said on the birth certificate. Caitlin was hers.

Moving towards the window again she took off her coat and wrapped it around a large stone. She'd seen her husband do this many times before when he'd broken into their house on one of the many times that she'd locked him out. Lifting her hand she cracked the coat against the window and watched in satisfaction when it splintered apart to create a crystal spider's web. One push and it shattered, sending shards of glass to the floor and she stepped back quickly, holding her breath while she waited for a light to click on but nothing happened.

Lifting her hands to the fragmented glass she pulled at the large pieces, throwing them onto the floor. The shards sliced through her flesh, making her hands wet with her own blood but she didn't care, all she wanted was what was inside.

Looking through the open hole she moved to climb in but stopped when all she could see was an empty room. Her heart began to hammer inside her chest and she shook her head to try and shake off the irritation. Moving forward again she peered inside and growled in frustration when she was met with the same sight.

"Please…no," she gasped as she pulled an old letter out of her pocket, leaving bloody fingerprints over the battered envelope and re checked the address. Blood smeared over her husband's hand writing but all she could focus on was the written words. This was the right place…Fiona Glenanne lived here…so where was she? Lifting her coat from the floor she smashed the glass again until the whole window was gone. Looking around her she watched for any sign of neighbours coming out to see what the noise was but when none came she climbed inside.

Broken glass crunched beneath her feet but she ignored it as she moved further into the room. Looking around she waited until her eyes had become adjusted to the darkness before she walked around the room. There was sparse furniture inside but it was clear that the house was empty and for a moment all she could do was stare around at the bare walls. With a desperate need Marie surged forward and went to another room, opening the door only to be met with the same desolate scene.

Hatred surged through her when she moved around the dark, kicking at the walls in frustration. The house was nothing but an empty shell that had taken any hope of finding Caitlin away. Moving towards the couch she sank down onto it and allowed the pent up sorrow to leave her body in silent waves as she sobbed out her woes. She came to find Caitlin and she was damned sure she was going to take her even if she had to kill Fiona to do it.

Lying back against the cushions she closed her eyes and allowed the exhaustion to wash over her. Tomorrow she would find her…tomorrow they would leave and go back to their life before Fiona came along and ruined it. Taking a deep breath, Marie focused on Caitlin's face and sought refuge in the memory of her before she fell into a deep restless sleep.

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Thank you to everyone for all of your reviews, PM's and favourite author and story adds. Also thank you to all of you for your kind comments on twitter. I am very humbled by your comments and deeply appreciative to all of you who take the time to read my stories.**

**Huge thanks to my wonderful friend's Purdy's Pal, DaisyDay and Jedi Skysinger who read through parts of this for me. **

14

Fiona woke up with a start and sat up in bed, for a moment trying to figure out where she was. Memories filtered back to her in one swift movement and she turned to look down at the man lying in bed beside her. A sudden burst of memories from the night before cascaded through her mind bringing a slow burning heat that rose inside her. Lifting her hand she glanced at the gold band on her finger and instantly felt the surge of love that came with it.

Manoeuvring her body she lay back down beside him and turned into his side, wrapping her arm around his torso. Breathing deeply, Fiona revelled in his scent as she felt the warmth of his body seep into hers. She hadn't felt so content and so happy in so many years, and she knew right at this moment that everything she wanted was right here within her grasp.

Opening her fingers she fanned her hand across his bare stomach, smoothing over the heated skin. She couldn't seem to get enough of him and somehow with the way he loved her last night he erased every one of the insecurities that had been lingering inside her mind. Shuffling even closer she pressed her lips to the back of his neck, placing soft kisses onto his skin until he breathed deeply and clasped her wandering hand with his own.

"Mmm…morning…" he mumbled sleepily when he turned to face her before he cracked open one eye and smiled at her.

"Hey," she whispered as she edged closer to kiss the underside of his chin, peppering soft kisses over his throat before working her way up to his lips to kiss him awake.

Now fully alert, Michael's eyes snapped open when she pulled away to lean up on one elbow so she could smile down at him.

"Hey," his voice came out in a gravelled whisper as he lifted his fingers to push a strand of hair behind her ears. "Any sign of Caitlin yet?"

Fiona's smile spread wider when she lifted her eyes towards their open bedroom door and shook her head. "She was really tired last night."

"Yes, she was…"

Feeling his fingers dancing over her arm, she looked down at him questioningly until she saw the smile adorning his face. Moving closer she hovered over him and watched his eyes darken when she closed the small gap and pressed a soft kiss onto his lips. Pulling back again she smiled down at him, her heart already beginning to surge with warmth when he pulled her down to his mouth again.

The kiss they shared was long and languished as they took their time to urge each other into wakefulness, neither of them in much of a hurry to get out of bed.

A giggle from the doorway pulled them apart and Michael lifted his head to look over towards their daughter who was grinning at them in amusement. Manoeuvring himself up on one elbow, Michael's face blossomed into a smile as he motioned for her to come into the room.

"Hi baby," Fiona greeted and patted the bed for her to join them. "Did you like sleeping in your new room?"

Caitlin gasped in an excited breath, taking all of two seconds to charge towards her mother and scramble up onto the bed to throw her arms around her.

"I was asleep alllll night," she beamed before she turned towards Michael. She watched him grin at her when she held out her hand towards him. "Daddy reads Mog really good."

"He does huh?" Fiona asked her as she peppered her hair with kisses before she leaned across to plant a kiss onto Michael's lips before pulling back to smile into his eyes. "Well, I think daddy should read to you more often."

"Will ya read ta me again tonight?" Caitlin asked as she crawled across to him to lay against his chest. "Can we read Mog again?"

Michael lifted his eyes to Fiona's and realised that he hadn't felt so relaxed in such a long time. Lifting his hand he curled a strand of Caitlin's hair around his finger before bending to kiss the soft strands. The feel of this little girl, his daughter, snuggling against him sent a burst of love throughout his heart and he knew he would give her anything she wanted.

"Anything you want, honey," he told her softly, only to be rewarded with another tight embrace.

"Can ya read ta me befer mammy goes ta nana's?" Caitlin asked excitedly. "Tha fergettin' one?"

"Again?" Fiona asked with a smile as she smoothed her hand over Caitlin's pyjama clad legs. "Aren't you getting tired of that book?"

"Nope," she beamed as she sat up to take hold of Fiona's hands to bounce up and down on the bed. "It's me favourite one."

Fiona glanced across at Michael to offer him an apologetic shrug but stopped when she saw him shake his head incredulously. He was looking very relaxed, something she'd never seen in him before. He was watching the two of them with so much adoration that she suddenly realised that whatever happened from this moment, this was going to be their lives now.

"I'll go an' get me book," Caitlin beamed as she scrambled off of the bed and charged out of the bedroom before her father could change his mind.

Slipping the thin strap of her top back onto her shoulder, Fiona leaned down towards the man she loved to place another soft kiss onto his lips, lingering for a few moments before she pulled back to gaze down at him. She couldn't remember a time when she had felt so happy. In any point in her future she had never envisioned anything like this for herself. In every scenario she had pictured herself alone with no one around her, but now she knew she had been wrong.

"I'm going for a shower before I head out to your mom's," she grinned down at him. "Are you two going to be okay without me?"

"We'll be fine," he told her softly, capturing her hand in his before she could climb off of the bed.

"Michael—"

"Shhh…" his voice lowered to a husky whisper as he pulled her back around to face him. Reaching forward he captured her mouth in a soft kiss only to release her when Caitlin came back into the room.

"Daddddy stop kissin' mammy an' read ta me," she giggled as she bounced on the bed towards them only to squeal in delight when her father grabbed her and began tickling her mercilessly.

"I'll leave the pair of you to play," Fiona grinned when she moved off of the bed and turned around to watch the two of them. Michael had already released his hold on his daughter by the time she turned around and Caitlin was already perched against his chest and looking up at her mother with a bright smile.

Shaking her head, Fiona couldn't help but smile when her daughter took a deep breath before she opened the book and looked up at her father expectantly.

"Dadddddy," she whined impatiently when he didn't begin to read to her right away. "I'm ready now."

Michael's eyes sparked with warmth when he looked from Fiona then back towards his daughter. He couldn't believe how this child had incurred changes within him that he never knew existed. Stroking a hand over her silken hair he looked down at the open book and smiled before he started to read.

000

When Fiona emerged from the shower she fully expected Michael and Caitlin to be lounging in bed, but to her surprise they weren't anywhere to be seen. Running a towel through her hair she dried it as best as she could before wrapping the towel around her head. Making her way towards the bed she bent to pull the sheets over the mattress but stopped suddenly when a wave of dizziness washed over her. Gasping in a breath she turned to sit down and closed her eyes but it did nothing to alleviate the spinning of the room.

Her stomach growled when she tried to combat a surge of queasiness, and she fought to remember the last time she had eaten. Sam had brought pizza over for all of them yesterday but she had only eaten half a slice before she got up to finish unpacking some kitchen things. Lack of food combined with the stress of moving and everything that happened over the last few days was playing havoc with her body, and she knew she had to start making sure she stopped to eat instead of skipping meals.

The wave of dizziness slowly passed to leave her confidant enough to stand up. Taking a breath she opened her eyes and was more than relieved that the churning in her stomach had all but gone. Looking back behind her at the unmade bed she pushed all thoughts of possibilities for her dizziness to the back of her mind and focused on her family. The absence of the two of them cast a curious wave to pass through her and before she could stop herself she pulled her bath robe tighter around herself before she ventured out into the main room.

"Daddy…look at me pancakes…thay're blue…"

"I can see," he told her with a smile as he lifted his glass to his lips to swallow a mouthful of juice.

Shaking her head, Fiona felt a swell of love throughout her body when she stopped to watch the two of them. Caitlin was kneeling on a stool and attempting to balance blueberries over her pancakes, but when they kept rolling off she sighed and squashed them instead.

"Mammy," Caitlin beamed when she saw her mother moving towards her. "Daddy made me pancakes."

"He _did_?" she asked with a smile when she came closer to press a kiss onto Caitlin's head. "I think we're going to need more blueberries."

"An' strawberries," she giggled. "Me an' daddy ate tham."

Fiona lifted her eyes to Michael and watched him in amusement when he shrugged his shoulders and pointed to their daughter. In all the years she had been in Miami she had never seen him looking so happy. He had always been so serious and thinking about nothing but his burn notice, and to see this side of him made her realise that the Michael McBride she fell in love with wasn't so different to Michael Westen after all.

Pulling the towel from her hair she dropped it onto the counter top and moved to wrap her arms around him. The water droplets from her long hair dripped onto his bare chest but he didn't seem to mind as he pulled her closer to press a kiss into the wet strands.

"I should come with you," he whispered against her temple before he lifted his head to hold her tighter against him.

Fiona stepped further into his embrace and buried her head beneath his chin. She loved this protective side of him, it was the one thing that had always made her realise that despite everything he did love her. Even in those dark times back in Ireland after he'd left, she would often remember the moments when he'd made little gestures that lifted her spirits, even though inside she was dying.

"I don't want her to be in the middle of all this," she sighed when she looked over towards the little girl who turned towards them with a wide grin. Holding him tighter, she kissed his chest before she slowly pulled away to gaze into his eyes. "I'll listen to what they have to say, I promised them that much."

"I know this is going to be hard," he told her softly, keeping his voice low so Caitlin couldn't hear. "But we can't keep her locked up in the house until Marie has gone…it's not fair on her."

"I know," she sighed when she felt his fingers skimming her shoulders. Turning back to him she offered him a smile and nodded slowly. He was right, they couldn't keep Caitlin cooped up in the house. Soon they would need to register her in a school and find a family doctor, she deserved a normal life.

"So," he smiled. "You get dressed and I'll call my mom and tell her we'll be over in an hour."

"Okay," she nodded, unable to hide the slow burning smile that made its way to her lips. "But when we get back we'll need to do something about all of these boxes."

"Deal," he grinned, keeping his eyes on her retreating form until she was out of sight.

"I finished all tha blueberries," Caitlin told him when she climbed down off of the stool to present him with her empty bowl. "See?"

"All of them?" Michael asked her with amusement as he scooped her up in his arms to plant a kiss onto her cheek. Taking the bowl from her hands he placed it in the sink before he turned back to her. "Was you hungry?"

"Yep," Caitlin nodded when she put her arms around him. "Are we goin' ta put me pictures up today?"

"As soon as we get back from your grandma's," he told her with a smile as he began the slow walk towards her bedroom. "Now all we need to do is find your clothes."

"I know where thay are," she beamed, moving closer to kiss him before she leaned back to lay her small hand on his cheek. "Thay're in me wardrobe."

"Well, why don't we see if we can surprise mommy and get you dressed before she comes out of the bedroom."

"Yesss," she giggled, urging him to move faster. "Hurry up daddy…befer she comes out."

"I'm hurrying," he laughed incredulously. "You're starting to sound just like your mom!"

"Yep," she giggled. "I am."

000

Madeline's eyes lit up with delight when the door opened to reveal Caitlin trailing her father behind her. The little girl was laughing and pulling him along with her only to let him go to charge towards her.

"Good morning sweetheart," Madeline beamed when she knelt down to engulf her granddaughter in her arms. Squeezing her tightly she pressed a kiss to her ear and pulled back to smile down at her before she stood back up to take hold of her hand. "I didn't think I was going to see you today."

"I know," Caitlin grinned up at her. "Mammy said we can go fer some new books after."

"Yeah?" Madeline asked with a wide smile. "So what have you been doing? Do you like your new bedroom?"

"Yesss," Caitlin gasped, bouncing on the spot. "I love it…an' it's _pink_."

"I know," Madeline's smile lit up in her eyes when she thought of how this little girl had given her a second chance to make up for the mistakes she'd made in the past.

"Daddy made me pancakes," Caitlin told her quickly, her voice coming out in an excited rush. "An' he read Mog ta me las' night an' today when mammy wa' in tha shower…"

"He did?" Madeline asked in disbelief when her son shrugged his shoulders dismissively as if this was a natural occurrence.

"Yep," Caitlin held onto Madeline's hands swinging them from side to side when a big smile lit up her face. "An' daddy wa' kissin' mammy…" she giggled, bouncing again.

Fiona lowered her forehead into Michael's upper arm as she tried to hide the slow blush rising over her face. It seemed their daughter was a typical four year old with a mischievous nature to match. Since Caitlin had arrived she'd brought so much love with her and Fiona knew she never wanted to return to the tempestuous relationship she and Michael had shared before she came.

"Caitlin," she asked as she lifted her head and tried to distract the little girl. "Did you ask nana if she'll read your book?"

"No," Caitlin gasped and looked up at her grandmother expectantly. "Can ya nana?"

Madeline looked up in time to see Seamus and Sean come into the main room before she smiled down at the little girl. "I would love to read to you honey."

"Yesss," Caitlin let go of her hands and turned back towards her mother before she spotted her two uncles. Her smile widened and she waved at Seamus before she wrapped her arms around her mother's legs. "Can we get me book?"

"Already brought it in," Fiona told her as she pointed to the table, the glint of gold from her finger catching Madeline's eye.

The older woman's eyes grew wide and the slow smile that lifted her lips brought a delighted spark to her heart. Surging forward she engulfed Fiona in a strong embrace, kissing the side of her cheek before she pulled back to cradle her face in her hands. Happy tears clouded her vision but she couldn't seem to find the right words to say.

Fiona swallowed hard and brought her hand up to enclose it over Madeline's before she met her smile with a bright one of her own. Keeping their fingers clasped together, Fiona lowered their hands and held onto Madeline for a few more seconds before she lowered her eyes to Caitlin who was leaning against her father looking very confused.

"Don't make nana read it too many times okay," Fiona told her softly when she released Madeline's hands to reach for the little girl who moved forward without hesitation to grasp hold of her hands.

"Mammy?" she asked worriedly when she gazed up at her mother with wide eyes. "Are ya sad?"

Fiona gasped out the breath that seemed to have caught in her throat and slowly lowered to her knees to engulf Caitlin in her arms.

"I'm fine baby," she whispered, sighing into her hair and kissing her temple before she leaned back to run her fingertips over Caitlin's cheek. "Remember, when nana's had enough of reading your book it's time to stop."

"Yer silly mammy…nana likes ta read it, don' ya nana?"

"I sure do," Madeline smiled and held out her hand to her only to pat her son's cheek proudly as she walked by him. "Come on sweetheart; let's go into the other room to read."

"Okay," Caitlin beamed as she held onto Madeline's hand and followed her out of the room.

Fiona waited until they were out of sight before she turned her eyes on her brother's. For the first time since they had arrived in Miami she found herself unsure of what to say. On one hand she was grateful for their help in returning her daughter but the past still weighed heavily on her mind.

Sensing her unease, Michael placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and watched her for any sign of discomfort before he lifted his eyes to the other two Glananne's.

"Wha's wit' tha rings," Sean asked as he waved a finger in the general directions of their hands. "Di' ya ge' hitched withou' tha family?"

"Family?" Michael scoffed only to lower his tone coolly before Fiona could speak. "We're McBride's. Ya go' a problem wit' tha'?"

"No," Sean told him quickly, recognising instantly the dulcet tones of the man he'd first met back in Ireland. Shaking his head he lowered his hand back to his side. "No problem."

"Good," Michael's eyes narrowed in warning as he tightened his hold on the woman beside him. "Le's keep it tha' way shall we?"

"Pa' told us abou' Marie," Sean's voice softened when he looked towards his sister. "I jus' wan' ya ta know we never knew wha' she wa' thinkin'…I promise ya I would've spoken up fer ya."

"Thanks," Fiona sighed before she met his apologetic gaze. "I could have done with the support."

"I know an' I should've stuck up fer ya, I should've done a lot a things." Sighing heavily Sean glanced back at his brother who sat down on the couch before he lifted his eyes to his sister. "I should've listened ta ya too Seamus…ya knew somethin' wa' wrong bu' none a us woul' listen ta ya."

"It's too late now ta fix it," Seamus shrugged. "I tried ta speak up fer ya Fiona bu' I—"

"It's okay," Fiona glanced up to the man beside her and squeezed his hand before she moved towards her younger brother to sit down beside him on the couch. "Ya were thare fer me when I needed ya."

"Bu' I still watched tham take yer babby away," he told her solemnly. "I'm as much ta blame as Sean fer tha'."

Michael watched silently while Seamus lifted his eyes to regard him thoughtfully. Seamus had never made it a secret that he didn't trust him, not after what he'd put Fiona through, and he didn't blame him for that. Fiona had told Michael on numerous occasions that during her pregnancy it was Seamus who was there for her, doing the job that should have been his. He knew he'd failed her and he deserved every ounce of mistrust in the younger man's eyes, he just hoped he could make both of the brother's see that he wasn't going to leave her this time.

His phone suddenly vibrated inside his pocket and he pulled it out to look down at Sam's name highlighted on the screen. Turning away he moved further into the kitchen before he answered the call and pressed the phone to his ear.

"Yeah Sam?"

"_Mike I've just been over to Fi's old place and it looks like someone's been in."_

"Wait a minute…any sign of—"

"_There's no signs of the crazy sister in law if that what you're askin',"_ Sam chuckled only to turn serious seconds later. _"But one of Fi's old neighbours saw a woman carryin' a thick coat walkin' away about an hour ago."_

"Did she call the cops?"

"_Yeah but she said they were pretty vague. Told her to call Fi's landlord to get the place secured."_

Michael sighed heavily and looked back across at Fiona who was talking to her brother's and shook his head. "If it was Marie, then—"

"_Then we need to find her before she finds Caitlin. I'm right there with ya brother."_

"Okay, I'll tell Fiona and then I'll meet you there." Closing off the phone Michael took a deep breath and made his way back towards Fiona and her two brothers before he caught her gaze.

"What's wrong?" she asked worriedly when she recognised the look in his eyes. Leaving the couch, she moved towards him. "Michael?"

When she came to a stop before him, Michael reached out to hold his hands over her arms and tried to think of the right words to say.

"Sam's at your old place…" his voice trailed away when he stroked his thumbs across her skin.

"Okaaay…" she asked, running her hands over his shirt clad chest. "And?"

"And…someone's been inside," stepping closer he tightened his hold on her when she swallowed heavily, her mind already filling in the blank spaces. "Look, we don't know for certain it's her."

"Oh it's her," she told him lowly, her voice shaking with anger. "She thinks she's coming here to take our daughter then she's going to be disappointed…I'll send her back to Ireland in pieces."

"Fi—"

"No," she snapped as she pulled away from him to whirl around to face Sean. "Ya ge' on yer phone right now an' tell Patrick tha' if he wan's his wife back in one piece he better come an' get har because I swear I will kill tha' woman if she so much as touches me child…ya hear me?"

"He's already on his way Fiona," Sean told her, stepping back when her fiery eyes blazed towards him. "He's comin' ta drag Marie back ta Ireland…his words no' mine."

"Well le's jus' hope he finds har befer I do," she told him with a wry grin when she looked across at her bag that was on the table. "I have a score ta settle wit' tha' bitch."

"Fi, I'm going to meet Sam at your place—"

"Oh don't you worry Michael, I'll stay here with Caitlin. If she comes here," she grabbed her bag and pulled out her SIG, waving it in the air menacingly. "I'll put a bullet right between her eyes."

Shaking his head Michael glanced across at Sean, imploring him to say something to ease his worries but the other Glenanne was just as bad as his sister.

"I'm wit' ya thare sis, bu' ya can' kill har, yer'll have ta shoot har in tha leg or somethin'."

"Ya tellin' me I can' kill tha woman who took me babby?" Fiona asked in exasperation. Turning towards Michael she cast him a thunderous glare when he closed his hand around hers on her gun.

"You told me you didn't want Caitlin caught up in the middle of this," he told her as he slowly lowered her hand with the gun. "You're her mother, she needs you to protect her while we try and track Marie down."

"I'll always protect Caitlin," she hissed. "And if it means shooting that woman to keep her safe I'll do it."

"I know you will," he told her, lowering his voice as he stepped closer to rest his forehead against hers. "Can you just try to wait until I get back?"

Fiona broke into a soft chuckle and nodded, keeping their foreheads joined. In the past they used to shy away from public displays but right at this moment she didn't care who saw them. She was tired of trying to explain herself to her family when it came to her feelings for this man. There had been too many times when her mother had interfered but now none of that mattered but the here and now.

"Okay," she smiled, her eyes lighting with a look that Michael knew all too well. "I won't hurt her…_much_…"

Moving back slightly, Michael shook his head incredulously and stepped forward to press a kiss onto her forehead. "I'll call you when we're heading back…lock the door behind me…"

"You don't have to worry about us, Michael," she told him with a bright smile. "I can take care of Marie."

"Just do it…please Fi," he sighed as he skimmed her arms with his fingertips.

"Okay," she told him on a sigh. "But you're worrying over nothing."

"Maybe I am, but just humour me okay."

He took a step away from her and glanced towards Sean who nodded to him before he turned away from her and made his way towards the door. When he walked outside he waited until he heard the click of the lock before he turned back around and headed towards the charger.

"So…" Fiona started when she turned back towards her bothers who were watching her like she was about to explode at any second. "When's Patrick arrivin' in Miami?"

"He got on a plane this mornin'," Sean told her as he took the gun out of the waistband of his jeans to check it before he tucked it back inside.

"A plane?" she asked in surprise. "Well he mus' be serious abou' draggin' har back ta Ireland."

"He is sorry fer his part in it Fiona," Sean sighed. "An' so is ma."

Fiona's eyes flared with annoyance when he spoke their mother's name and she knew it would be a very long time before she would ever forgive the woman who had helped to take her child from her. Looking down at the gun in her hand she marched back towards her bag and placed it inside before she turned fiery eyes on her brother.

"I told ya never ta mention har name an' I meant it."

"Well ya no' goin' ta like wha' I have ta tell ya," he told her, taking a step away. "She's comin' wit' him."

"_WHAT?"_ Fiona's voice rasped through her lips and her eyes blazed with fire. "I told ya I never wanted ta talk ta tha' woman again. Wha' part of tha' didn' ya understand?"

"Hey I didn' ask har ta come…she wanted ta see ya."

"Well I don' want ta see har. She can rot fer all I care, an' she can take tha lot a ya wit' har." Turning away from her brother she felt her stomach beginning to roll as a high pitched buzz blocked out her hearing. She began to sway and grasped out to anything to stop her from falling but she lost her footing and crumbled backwards into the arms of her brother, Seamus.

"Breathe," Seamus soothed as he steadied her and helped her back to sit on the couch. He watched as his brother hovered worriedly before rushing towards the kitchen to fill a glass and then coming back to stand beside them. Perching down next to her Seamus took the glass of water that Sean shoved towards them and slowly pushed it into her hand. "Take small sips."

"Are ya sick?" Sean asked worriedly when he hovered beside her, his eyes flitting between her and his brother. "Do ya need ta call McBride?"

"No," she shook her head and passed the glass back to Seamus. "I skipped breakfast. Once I eat somethin' I'll be fine."

"Are ya sure?" Sean asked, his phone already in his hand. "It'll take a second fer him ta get back."

"I said I'm fine," she snapped, pushing the wave of nausea to the back of her mind as she slowly lifted her gaze to his. "Sorry…"

"Listen, I'm goin' ta check tha back…jus' eat somethin' will ya," Sean told her before he turned away. "If Marie comes here lookin' we can' have ya faintin' on us."

Seamus stayed beside Fiona and watched when their brother moved out of the room, mumbling angrily under his breath as he moved. "Ya know ya shouldn' take it ou' on him…he wa' worried abou' ya."

"I'm fine," she sighed tiredly as she rubbed her hands across her face. "I'll eat somethin'."

Seamus nodded knowingly when she got shakily to her feet and made her way towards one of the cupboards in the kitchen. Standing up he grabbed the barely touched water and followed her, keeping a close eye on her when she pulled some crackers out of a half opened packet and bit into it.

"Does he know?" he asked cautiously as he edged closer to lean on the edge of the counter.

"Wha' are ya on abou'?" Fiona asked him as she swallowed down the dry cracker only to take out another one to repeat the process.

"Yer fella?" he asked as he lowered his voice. "Does he know yer pregnant?"

His words caused Fiona to choke on the cracker she was eating and she turned towards the sink to cough it out before she grasped the glass of water he was holding out for her. Lifting it to her lips she swallowed down the liquid before she turned to face her brother with denial in her eyes.

"I am _not _pregnant," she told him, her accent slipping back into American. "I just haven't eaten for a while."

"Are ya sure…cos ya know ya look jus' like ya did tha las' time," he told her. "How do ya know fer sure?"

"I know, okay," she growled when she glared at him. "I'm _fine_. I'm _not_ pregnant I'm just…_fine_…"

Seamus nodded silently when she banged the glass onto the side and turned away from him. He wasn't so sure she was fine at all, not after he'd witnessed this from her the first time. He watched her retreating form and instantly regretted voicing his concern. Swallowing down his worry he mentally tried to decide whether he should just ask Sean to call McBride and get him back here or take her word for it that she simply hadn't eaten. When she turned to look at him he nodded in acceptance even though he knew his suspicions were probably right.

"Yer righ' Fiona," he told her on a sigh. "Yer fine."

"I told you I was," she told him with a smile that failed to reach her eyes. "I'm going to find Caitlin."

Nodding silently Seamus watched her walk away before he looked towards the windows, deciding to check if they were all secure. Everything about this gave him an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach and he just hoped he was wrong. Sighing heavily he leaned against the window frame and looked out into the sunshine with unseeing eyes. He just hoped this time McBride would stick around, because if he didn't…

"It's all secure," Sean's voice brought Seamus out of his thoughts and he opened his eyes to regard his brother before he nodded silently.

"So wha' now? We jus' wait fer McBride?"

"Pretty much," Sean nodded, his eyes flitting around the room. "She alrigh'?"

"She's fine," the younger Glenanne nodded as he headed towards the kitchen. "I'm goin' ta make a decent cuppa…ya wan' one?"

"Aye," Sean sighed, following his brother as he tried to quash the impending doom that was creating havoc with his body. "Make mine sweet…McBride's ma's a good woman…bu' she can' make tea!"

Seamus nodded, his lips slowly turning upwards into a smile as he nodded in agreement before both of them slipped into silence once more.

000

Sam and Michael walked around what was Fiona's old house to survey the damage and to see if there were any clues as to who the intruder might have been. The glass crunched beneath Sam's feet and he stepped back to look down at the bloodied glass before he regarded the rest of the area.

"You think it was her, Mike?" he asked as he turned back around to face his friend. "There's not much to go on."

"It's too much of a coincidence for it not to be her, Sam," Michael sighed when he walked further into the house towards what used to be Caitlin's room. A sudden wave of panic spread over him when he thought of what could have happened if they had delayed their move another day. If they hadn't have left when they had, Caitlin would have been exposed to things he didn't even want to think about.

Turning around again he was about to walk out of the room when something in the corner of the room caught his eye. Moving closer, he bent to pick up the remains of a photo that seemed to have been ripped apart. Turning it over in his hands what he saw caused his heart to lurch inside his chest, bringing the realisation that Marie had been here.

"Sam," he yelled as he turned to race towards the door, pulling his phone out of his pocket while he moved.

"Mike?" Sam's voice rose in pitch and volume when he met his friend half way, almost colliding with him in his haste to find out what was wrong.

"She was here," Michael told him as he thrust the bloodied picture of Fiona and Caitlin towards his friend. "She broke into the house, Sam…she—"

"And she found nothin'," Sam told him reassuringly, his eyes lingering over the photo in his hands. "Caitlin's safe."

"Yeah," lifting the phone to his ear, Michael listened, his impatience transforming into worry when Fiona's phone rang through to voicemail.

"Mike?" Sam asked worriedly when Michael lifted the phone to his ear again. For a moment his eyes lingered over the wedding band on his friend's finger but any questions he was going to ask suddenly disappeared when Michael turned towards him.

"She's not answering," Michael's voice caught in his throat when he was once again met with Fiona's voicemail. Ending the call he tried again, moving towards the door as he pressed the phone against his ear. His worries rose into frustration when he charged through into the sunlight, every second causing his panic to rise a little more. "_Dammit _Fi…_pick _up…"

Sam thrust the torn photograph into his pocket and went after him as he fought the fear that rampaged throughout his body. This wasn't some client this time, this was personal and as he raced after his friend he tried not to worry when he dialled Madeline's number only to be met with the same empty tone.

"Let's go, Mike," he urged when he climbed into the charger and tried Madeline's number again. "Voicemail again…_dammit_ Maddie.._ ."_

Without another word, Michael started the car and sped away, the tyres squealing their protest as he drove…heading towards his mother's house…

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, sent PM's and for the favourite author and story adds. I really do appreciate every comment, thank you.**

**Also huge thanks to my friends Purdy's Pal, DaisyDay and Jedi Skysinger for reading through some parts of this**

15

Marie Glenanne had been seething when she'd stalked out of the deserted street and back to the taxi that waited for her, feeling utterly cheated. She'd travelled so far to get here only to be rewarded with nothing but disappointment. It had cost her more than the six hundred dollars she'd thrown at the taxi driver to be her ride for the day, with no questions asked; she had lost precious time too.

The house she'd thought she would find Caitlin in had been abandoned and she'd been left to wander aimlessly around the neighbourhood as she'd thought of what to do next. Her fingers hurt from the jagged glass but when she'd looked down at her hands she couldn't seem to register that the slices on her fingers hadn't stopped bleeding.

She'd placed her coat over the wounds and taken a look around her when she'd heard a car speeding down towards the street she had just come from and instinctively she'd ducked behind some bushes, her eyes following the car as it had sped past.

Her curiosity had peeked when she'd caught a glimpse of the driver, his dark hair enough to send a surge of hope to her heart. Coming out from behind her cover she'd turned back the way she had come and had hung back a little. The black car had parked outside of the house she'd left and she'd been convinced more than ever that the dark haired man she had seen was the one and only Michael McBride.

Excitement had raced through her and she'd hurriedly turned back around before she'd raced back to the awaiting taxi when she'd heard the roar of McBride's car. Reaching her own ride she opened the door and climbed inside, ducking down a little when the screech of tyres as black car sped past.

"I need ya ta follow tha' car," she'd hissed anxiously when the driver started the car. "Keep up wit' him. Don' ya be losin' him now or ya won' be getting' ya money."

The money incentive had been more than enough for the taxi driver to turn on his engine and speed off in the same direction as the charger, leaving Marie planning for her daughter's return. McBride and his bitch girlfriend had taken her babby and the only thing she'd wanted was to get her back.

"Don' ya lose him now," she'd repeated again when her heartbeat had roared in her ears. "Ya keep goin'."

"I'll keep up with him, lady," the taxi driver had promised when he'd raced after the car in front. No one was going to keep him from his six hundred bucks…

000

Fiona smiled when she gazed down at her little girl who was watching her grandmother with so much adoration. She couldn't believe the change in Madeline, she had transformed into the perfect grandmother and Michael too had noticed the difference. Fiona knew Michael had had a less than ideal childhood but whenever she asked him about it he shut down completely until she gave up.

Her own childhood hadn't been idyllic either, despite having a large family. She grew up with violence around her, and it had only been a matter of time before the Glenanne family traits caught up with her, propelling her into the realms of hate. She had been well on her way to becoming the ultimate vessel of pent up fury who took it out on everyone she came into contact with. After Claire died she lost sight of everything but her own pain and she knew she would have been dead if her path hadn't crossed with Michael McBride. He had knocked her viciousness on its head and soothed the fury in her heart. He showed her how it felt to love and be loved, completely.

A bang on the front door tore her out of her reverie, causing her to shoot a panic stricken look towards Madeline who tried to remain calm. Shaking her head, Fiona stepped backwards and moved towards the door mouthing to Madeline to keep Caitlin out of sight.

Her heart was pounding inside her chest when she stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her. She could hear Sean talking to someone and instantly felt the flood of anger course through her heart. Her phone was in her bag with her gun and for a moment she cursed herself for being so careless. Taking a deep breath she forced herself to remain calm until she heard the unmistakable sound of an Irish woman's voice, the sound sending a surge of fury throughout her body.

Clenching her fist she gritted her teeth and moved further into the room ready to inflict as much damage on the woman who stole her child as she could. The voice became louder sending shards of memories to haunt her mind when she moved into the family room. Her eyes fell onto the figure who had her back towards her and the hatred that soured through her body splintered when she realised who the woman was.

Sean caught sight of Fiona when she came into the room and the words he was saying to his mother died on his lips. He had no idea how this was going to play out and he didn't want to be in the crossfire when his sister exploded. Swallowing hard he eyed his mother nervously before he turned his gaze back onto his sister.

"Fiona…" he spoke her name, hoping that she would remain calm but he could already see by the look in her eyes that she was far from calm…she was furious.

Turning around slowly, Colleen Glenanne's eyes fell onto her daughter and instantly felt the years of regret swamp around her. She smiled brightly hoping that the gesture would melt the coldness in her daughter's eyes. Taking a slow step forward she stopped to look at how much Fiona had changed. Her hair was longer and she looked so different to the last time she had seen her. Through those wild eyes Colleen could still see traces of the young woman who had walked out of her house with her child in her arms. Sighing heavily she fought for something to say that would make Fiona understand that she really was sorry, but a glint of gold from her daughter's finger caused all of her thoughts to disappear.

"Yer married?" she asked, stunned as she spun around to cast an accusing look towards her son. "Ya never said anythin' abou' a marriage."

Sean shrugged his shoulders and opened his mouth to offer an explanation but shrank back a little when both of the ferocious Glenanne women glared at him.

"Wha' tha hell is she doin' here?" Fiona seethed, unable to keep her voice from shaking as she moved towards Sean menacingly. "Ya told tham whare ta find us?"

"I told tham McBride's ma wa' lettin' us stay. It's not like—"

"Ya idjit," Fiona hissed, rushing past him to retrieve her bag. "Ya might as well stick up a neon sign ta tell Marie whare ta find us!"

"Fi—"

"Shut it," she snapped angrily as she delved inside her bag to pull out her ringing phone. Looking down onto the screen she sighed with relief when she saw Michael's name and pressed it on.

"Michael, where are—" she started but his anxious words cut through hers and she swallowed hard when she heard the panic in his voice.

"_Where the hell have you been?"_

"Michael, listen to me," she tried to keep her voice even as she spoke but she was unable to hide the tremor that shook her words. "Sean told my mother where to find us—"

"_WHAT…I'm on my way, Sam's with me…just…don't do anything until I get there._

Fiona's eyes sparked with mischief despite her fury and a smile lifted her lips when she held the phone closer to her mouth. "What…you don't want me to shoot her until you get here?"

"_Fiona,"_ his voice dipped and she could already hear the warning in his tone. A smile blossomed over her lips and she nodded her head even though he couldn't see her.

"Okay…" she sighed with a smile. "You're no fun, Michael."

"_Just wait for me,"_ he told her in a tone she knew so well. _"Where's Caitlin?"_

"She's okay, she's with your mom," Fiona told him reassuringly even though she had no idea how long Madeline could keep her entertained. "Just get here, okay."

Closing off the phone she pulled her gun out of her bag before turning back towards the two people watching her. Without taking her eyes off of them she threw her bag back onto the table, placing her gun and phone on the top. Folding her arms across her chest she waited for one of them to speak, but their silence caused her infuriation to flare once more.

"So, where's Patrick?" Fiona asked angrily, keeping her accent American as she spoke. "Or has he just gone to find his wife and bring her here so she doesn't have to bother looking?"

"Fiona, it's no' like tha'," Sean sighed. "He's gone ou' wit' Seamus ta see if he can stop har befer she does anythin'."

"She already did something Sean," Fiona growled. "She wanted to _keep_ my daughter."

"Fiona," Colleen kept her voice low as she took a step forward and held up a hand in apology. "I didn' know wha' she wa' plannin'…I'm so sorry child…I didn' know…"

The look in her mother's eyes sent Fiona in a downward spiral bringing the pain of the last few years to emerge stronger than before. Swallowing the lump in her throat she forced the anguish to the back of her mind and instead sought out the painful emotions that had kept her alive for so many years. Her eyes darkened as she stared at her mother, the blind fury hitting her all at once.

"Yer liars, all a ya," Fiona hissed heatedly. "Ya didn' care wha' ya wa' doin' ta me, all ya wanted wa' me babby."

Before either one could respond the front door opened to reveal Seamus and Patrick, both of them looking just as remorseful as the other two Glenanne's. Patrick moved towards his sister in an effort to explain but she stepped back before he could touch her.

"Don' ya dare put yer hands on me Patrick Glenanne," she seethed. "haven' ya done enough damage?"

"Fiona…jus' le' me explain," Patrick asked, his voice imploring her to understand. "Please?"

Fiona shook her head and opened her mouth ready to deliver another stinging retort but the words died on her lips when she heard her daughter's voice, and suddenly everything she had been feeling seemed to fall away.

"Mammy…"

Fiona turned quickly and surged towards the little girl who was looking around the room with wide frightened eyes. Madeline stood beside her and held onto her hand, anger filling her eyes when she saw the people responsible for causing so much misery.

Caitlin's lip began to tremble when she looked around the room, her eyes falling onto her mother before she ran towards her, sobbing into her shoulder.

"It's okay baby," Fiona soothed when she picked her up to sit on the couch and began rocking her. "They've just come to bring some more of your things, that's all…shhh…it's okay…"

"Whare's… daddy…" Caitlin wailed. "I wan'… daddddyyy…"

"He's coming baby," Fiona soothed. "He'll be here soon, I promise."

"I don' wan' ta go wit' Uncle Pat," Caitlin sobbed as she sat up in Fiona's lap, shaking her head. "Ya said I coul' stay."

"Caitlin you're not going anywhere. Daddy's going to be here soon and we'll go home. Just the three of us," tracing her fingertip over her daughter's ear she leaned forward and pressed a reassuring kiss into her temple before pulling her closer.

"I wan' daddy…here…now…" Caitlin cried burrowing herself into her mother's chest. "I don'…wan' him ta…go away…"

Madeline moved towards them and ran a soothing hand across Caitlin's back before she cast a warning glare to the four people watching the scene before them with shock.

"Are you all happy now?" she asked angrily. "It's not enough that you ripped this child from her mother, you had to come here and upset her again? What is it with you people?"

"Ya have no idea wha' happened," Colleen's voice challenged when she cast a disapproving eye on the older woman. "I di' wha' I though' wa'—"

"Ma, no' now," Patrick told her, his voice slicing through hers as he turned to watch his sister and her daughter. "Yer no' thinkin' abou' wha' ya did…wha' we all did."

"I did' wha' I though' wa' righ'," Colleen shook her head in defiance and opened her mouth to justify her actions but the moment she set her eyes on Fiona and Caitlin, everything she was going to say died away. She hadn't thought that she had made a huge mistake at first, not until Marie began to act strange around Caitlin. It was only after she'd spoken of adoption that alarm bells began to ring. She wanted to say she was sorry but she didn't know if Fiona would ever accept that, so she kept quiet and watched the biggest mistake she had ever made unfold before her eyes.

"Mrs Westen—" Sean stepped closer to try and explain why he'd brought his mother here but when Madeline cast him a furious glare, he clamped his mouth shut.

Perching on the edge of the table she held out Caitlin's book to her in an effort to distract her but nothing seemed to work. Lifting her gaze to Fiona's mother she tried to think how this woman could have forced her daughter to give up her child. For a woman who stood there looking as surprised by Caitlin's outburst as the others, Madeline had to wonder what she was really thinking.

"Sean you should take your mother to a hotel if she's planning on staying," she told him coolly. She had already made up her mind that she wasn't going to like the woman who had caused Fiona so much pain. She was pondering what she was going to do with her unwelcome houseguests when the door flew open to reveal her son and she suddenly felt all of the worry leave her body. All three of the Glenanne brother's turned to see what had caught her attention and stepped back when Michael charged into the room, ignoring everyone except Fiona and Caitlin.

Lowering his gun he tucked it in the back of his jeans before he glanced back at Sam and motioned for him to close the door. Turning back to the scene before him he drew in a deep breath before his eyes met Fiona's brothers, recognising Patrick instantly.

"What happened? Is she okay?" Michael asked worriedly as he moved towards the couch where Fiona was sitting.

Fiona gasped in a breath when she lifted her head to see him and sighed with relief when she hugged her daughter tighter towards her. She was fighting a barrage of emotions that seemed to live inside her permanently since the day she had given birth to this precious child. Sniffing back the tears that had been threatening to spill she closed her eyes briefly and kissed her daughter's hair before she moved across to her ear.

"Caitlin," Fiona soothed softly, her own voice shaking. "Look who's back."

For a few seconds the house fell into silence before Caitlin scrambled off of Fiona's lap to run towards her father, sobbing his name. Michael's worried eyes met Fiona's as he bent to scoop his daughter up, becoming more alarmed when she wrapped herself around him, sobbing into his neck.

"What's wrong?" he asked her in a whisper as he pulled her tighter. "It's okay now…"

Fiona was by his side in seconds, running her hand over Caitlin's back before she leaned into his arm and felt the first tear spill out onto her cheek, but she quickly swiped it away. "She thinks Patrick's here to take her back...and…you were gone…so…"

When her words trailed away Michael inclined his head to press a kiss onto Fiona's head before he finally understood. Closing his eyes briefly, Michael could already feel the well of guilt lingering inside him. For so long he had put his job first, creating a void between anyone who tried to get close to him. The day he met and fell in love with a fiery Irish woman everything had changed, but the repercussions from his actions when he left were still being felt, even now. Opening his eyes he moved to kiss the side of Caitlin's cheek before he moved back slightly so that he could see her face.

"Hey," he whispered with a smile when Fiona reached across to wipe a tear away from their daughter's cheek. "Are you okay?"

"Daddy…" she started, her small voice hiccupping. "Ya…wen'…away…"

"I didn't go anywhere," he soothed softly. "I brought Sam back with me…see?"

Turning slightly he moved so she could see Sam, but even seeing one of her favourite uncles couldn't placate her.

"Hey pumpkin," Sam grinned, tapping her leg with his finger. "You doing okay?"

Caitlin nodded, her breath catching on a sob. Large tears tumbled onto her cheeks when she started wailing again, clinging to her father tighter than before. Michael's eyes grew wide when he looked at his girlfriend, hoping she would know what to do but she was looking just as clueless as he was.

"Do you want to go home, baby?" Fiona asked softly as she leaned her head against Michael's shoulder and moved forward to kiss Caitlin's wet cheek.

Caitlin lifted her head and sniffed loudly before she turned to look at her father. "Ya no'…goin' ta go?"

"I promise," he told her, trying to coax a smile. "You, me and mommy will _always_ be together okay."

"Ferever?" she asked, sniffing again before she sat up a little to play with the buttons on his polo shirt.

"Forever?" Michael grinned.

"I don' want ta go wit' uncle pa'," she told him quickly as she wiped her hand across her face.

"You're not going anywhere without me or your mom," Michael told her softly. "Okay?"

When Caitlin nodded and burrowed as close to her father as she could, Fiona felt something spark inside her. Her family had started this whole mess before Caitlin was even born and now her daughter was bearing the brunt of their interference.

"All this because you didn't want me to bring shame to the family?" she seethed when she looked directly towards the woman who had started it all. "You did this to her. You ruined our lives even before she was born."

"Fiona—"

"You know what…_save_ it," Fiona's voice cracked under the pressure and she quickly clamped her eyes closed so that no one could see the pain highlighted in them. She felt like a timebomb about to explode at any moment but this time she didn't know how to control it. Opening her eyes she sought refuge in Michael's warmth as she moved closer.

Michael could sense her changing mood and turned slightly so that he could see her face. Her eyes were so full of hurt and he didn't think any words would be able to fix it this time. Holding on to Caitlin he inclined his head to place a soft kiss onto Fiona's temple and sighed against her when she leaned into him. Here he was cocooned between the two most important women in his life and he didn't care who saw them.

Madeline swallowed the lump in her throat and caught Sam's worried glance. She had witnessed the changes in her son since he returned to Miami and she knew that Sam had too. Despite Michael's insistence that he and Fiona weren't together when he returned, his actions told her a different story. Since Caitlin arrived their bond had solidified and she couldn't ever remember seeing them so close as they were now. All she wanted to do was protect them from whatever this was that was going on around them.

"Michael," she spoke his name as she slowly moved forward, meeting his eyes. "Why don't the three of you go home? I'll come over to stay with Caitlin in the morning so you two can sort this out."

Fiona lifted her head and met Michael's eyes. Part of her wanted to take Madeline up on her offer but at the same time she just wanted this whole thing over with. Her eyes drifted over to her daughter who was still looking around at her Irish family with apprehension and she knew they had to sort out this whole mess once and for all.

"Caitlin," she asked when the little girl turned her head to look at her. "Daddy and me need to talk to Uncle Pat and nana Glenanne, so maybe if you ask nana she'll let you help her make some muffins."

"Blueberry?" Caitlin asked, her eyes growing wide as she sat up a little straighter.

"I think we still have some in the fridge," Madeline nodded. "Shall we go and take a look while your mom and dad go outside with everyone?"

Caitlin's smiled slowly dropped from her face and she turned to face her father with apprehensive eyes. "Aunt Marie said ya didn' wan' ta stay wit' me an mammy."

"Well she was lying honey," he told her reassuringly. "When your mom was having you I had to go back to my job to keep you both safe."

"Do ya have ta go ta yer job now?" she asked quietly when she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I don' wan' ya ta go."

"There might be times when I have to go away," he told her with a reassuring smile. "But it won't be for a really long time, okay."

"Bu' no' yet?" she asked hopefully, hugging him tightly when he shook his head, no.

Fiona eyed her mother, the woman's silence fuelling the anger in her eyes. Reaching forward she rubbed her hand over Caitlin's back and waited until she lifted her head before she spoke.

"Caitlin remember your first night with us and you said that Aunt Marie told you she wasn't your mommy," Fiona asked, trying to keep her voice as neutral as possible. "You told us she said you were going to come and live with us one day, remember?"

"She said I wa' goin' ta live wit' me mammy," Caitlin nodded.

"So why do you think Uncle Pat's here to take you back?" Fiona asked as she wiped the remains of a tear from her daughter's cheek with her finger.

"She said ya wa' too busy an' ya wouldn' wan' me ta stay," Caitlin lowered her gaze to her hands before she lifted her eyes first to her father and then her mother. "Bu' ya do wan' me ta stay now don' ya mammy?"

Fiona's breath hitched in her throat and she held her arms out for her daughter, desperate to hold her against her. Michael turned slightly easing Caitlin across to her mother who was already beginning to crack beneath the strain of it all.

Caitlin wrapped her arms around Fiona and clung to her, both mother and daughter needing the closeness. Turning away from Michael, Fiona moved towards the couch and sat down with her, cradling her against her much like she had when she was forced to leave her behind.

"I have always wanted you Caitlin," she told her through a strained voice. "I never wanted to leave you behind. I always wanted to take you with me but your Aunt Marie and nana Glenanne told me I couldn't."

"Why?" Caitlin sat up a little and looked up at her mother questioningly.

"I thought it was because they thought it would be too dangerous," Fiona told her softly as she combed her fingers through Caitlin's hair. "Sometimes grown ups do stupid things."

Michael sighed heavily and looked towards Fiona's family who hadn't moved since he'd got here. Nodding towards Sam he turned to regard his friend who was hovering beside him worriedly and noted that he was just as anxious as he was.

"Can you take them into the garage?" he asked, keeping his voice low as he inclined his head towards Fiona's family. "We'll be out soon."

"Sure thing brother," Sam nodded and looked towards Sean who in turn began to usher his mother and brother's out of the house.

Colleen kept her eyes on her daughter when Sean pulled on her arm, regret flooding her eyes. Moving forward she wanted to tell Fiona again that she was sorry but Michael blocked her path.

"Yer'll have yer chance when we've calmed our daughter down," he told her, his accent slipping into the tone she recognised. Folding his arms across his chest defiantly he watched her eyes spark with recognition and he wondered if she actually realised how much damage she'd caused. "An' then ya can explain it ta me."

"Wha'?" she asked quietly, lifting her head to watch him with confusion.

"Ya jus' assumed I left har cos I wanted ta leave…ya took our child an' ya ask me all innocent like ya haven' done anythin'," taking a step back he shook his head angrily. "Ya can do yer explainin' when we finish in here, bu' don' expect har fergiveness."

Colleen nodded slowly and turned towards Sean who was holding out his hand to her. With one final glance back towards her daughter she sighed heavily and hoped that by the time she left here she would have a relationship with Fiona again.

Caitlin sat up in her mother's lap and leaned forward to kiss her before she shifted to settle back against her chest.

"Can we pu' me pictures on me wall when we go home?" she asked with a smile before she sat up again. "An' ge' some new books?"

Fiona voice caught on a sob but she swallowed it down as she nodded her head. Michael was beside her in seconds, perching on the arm of the couch to run his hand across her back to rub her shoulders soothingly.

"Anything you want to do," he told Caitlin with a smile. "But we have to talk to Uncle Patrick first, okay?"

"Okay," Caitlin nodded as she clambered off of her mother's lap to turn towards her. Reaching forward she pulled on Fiona's hands, tugging her forward until she was on her feet. "Can we have pizza?"

"You want pizza again?" Fiona asked her with a smile, the sadness in her eyes slowly filtering away. "I think we can do that."

"Come on sweetheart," Madeline smiled as she held out her hand. "Let's go and see if we can find some blueberries."

"Yesss," Caitlin beamed, bouncing towards her to grab her hand. "Can we make some blueberry muffins fer daddy?"

Madeline glanced up at her son who just shrugged before she looked down at the little girl and smiled. "Of course honey. What about mommy?"

"Mammy can have some too," Caitlin beamed as she turned back towards her parents. "I'm goin' ta help nana now."

"Okay," Michael nodded, unable to hide the smile that highlighted his features. "We'll be back in a little while."

Caitlin released Madeline's hand to race back towards her father and threw her arms around him when he bent to pick her up. "Yer no' goin' ta go?"

"We're not going to go," Michael promised as he placed a soft kiss onto her cheek. "We just need to sort a few things and then we'll all go home."

"Okay," Caitlin smiled, wrapping her arms around him again before she released her hold for him to place her back on the floor so she could join her grandmother in the kitchen.

Glancing back towards Fiona, Michael clasped her hand in his when she came to stand beside him. She nodded silently when he squeezed her fingers and allowed him to lead her out of the house.

000

Outside, Marie looked over at the house with determination in her eyes. She'd watched McBride and an older man run towards the house and she knew instinctively that that was where they were keeping Caitlin. All she needed now was a plan to get inside, find Caitlin and get out again before anyone knew she had gone.

Opening her bag she looked down at the wad of cash that O'Neil's cousin had thrown towards her in Ireland, and wondered just how much Fiona's other enemies were willing to pay for her. Daniel O'Neil's gift of five thousand dollars was more than enough incentive for her to bribe someone to help her with Fiona, and when she looked towards the taxi driver a plan formulated in her mind.

"How would ya like ta make a little extra?" she asked as she took a bundle of bills out of her bag to wave then under his nose. "Ya help me ta ge' me child an' tha woman who took har ta tha docks an' I'll give ya a thousand."

"Dollars?" the taxi driver asked, his eyes transfixed on the money in his grasp.

"Nah, pounds!" she tutted. "O' course dollars…are ya jus' waistin' me time cos I can find someone else ta—"

"No…I'll drive you back to the docks," he told her, breaking through her words before she could change her mind. "What is it you want me to do?"

"Ya jus' wait ou' here until I'm ready an' ya can help me ge' tha woman inta tha car," Marie told him when she looked back towards the house. "Me babby won' be a problem…she'll jus' be happy ta be goin' home."

"So the woman—"

"I told ya no' ta ask questions," she snapped when she glared back at him. "Ya jus' do wha' I ask ya ta do an' yer'll get yer money."

Nodding dubiously his eyes suddenly grew wide when Marie pulled a gun out of her bag and looked across to the house before she held it out to him.

"What…NO…" holding his hands up he shook his head and handed her money back to her. "I ain't using no gun lady…I don't know what you're involved in but I ain't—"

"Wha's yer name?" Marlie asked calmly, taking him by surprise when she took his hand and placed the gun into his palm.

"T…Trevor…"

"Well Trevor," she smiled. "Ya said ya woul' help me ge' me babby back…so I intend ta collect."

"But…I ain't ever shot anyone before…I—"

"Ya don' have ta shoot anyone, jus' cause a distraction so I can ge' in an' take me babby…once I have har I jus' need ta ge' tha woman who took me child." Marie smiled menacingly at him when he shrank back in his seat.

"What do you want me to do?" Trevor asked as he looked down at the gun in his hand.

"I wan' ya ta fire a shot an' get har inta tha open…I'll do tha rest," she told him with a smile. "Go' tha'?"

Trevor looked from the gun to the pile of money that was nestled on the woman's lap before he took a deep breath. "I don't know…"

"I'll give ya two thousand," Marie blurted. "Bu' tha's me final offer…take it o' leave it."

"Two?" swallowing heavily, Trevor sat up in his seat and nodded slowly. "I'll do it."

000

Michael walked into the garage and kept Fiona's hand clasped firmly in his own. He had no intention of letting anyone hurt her again and whatever she wanted to do, he would do it whether it was to cut ties or keep the door open.

The second they stepped further inside, Colleen moved towards them and held her hand out to her daughter but slowly lowered it when Michael shot her a warning glare.

"So ya want ta talk," he told her coldly as he held Fiona against his side. "Bu' ya better have a mighty good explanation ta why ya did wha' ta did."

"Fiona, ya know I wa' only thinkin' a keepin' tha babby safe…I never wanted ta take har from ya."

"Ya called me a _whore_," Fiona's voice echoed around the room when she left Michael's side to move towards her mother. "Ya told me I wa' goin' ta burn in hell fer me sins…or have ya fergotten tha'?"

"I wa' angry tha's all," Colleen told her, imploring her to understand. "I never—"

"Wha'? Never meant ta say wha' ya did?" Fiona hissed. "Ya were goin' ta le' me die…"

"No," Colleen shook her head venomously. "Tha's a lie an' ya know it."

"It's no' a lie," Seamus moved out from behind Sean and came to stand beside his sister in an act of defiance. "I wa' thare wit' har an' ya wa' goin' ta le' har die befer Pa' told ya ta help har."

"No," shaking her head Colleen looked from Seamus and then back to Fiona before she stepped backwards. "I didn' know wha' wa' happenin'. Marie said ya wa goin' ta be fine."

"Tha same Marie who conspired ta take me babby," Fiona's voice shook as she spoke, the memories from Caitlin's birth creating havoc in her mind. Folding her arms across her stomach she held herself together as she fought to control her tempestuous emotions.

"I didn' know wha' Marie wa' plannin' Fiona," Patrick told her, his eyes pleading for her to believe him. "I always intended ta bring har back ta ya."

"When?" she asked then, her eyes flaring furiously. "When she wa' in her teens?"

"I never meant ta keep har away from ya fer so long," Patrick stepped beside their mother and looked across at her ashen face before he turned back to his sister. "I swear ta ya sis, I never wanted ta cause ya pain."

"So ya think takin' me child wouldn' cause me pain?" she spat angrily. "Ya didn' care…none a ya did. All ya wanted wa' Caitlin an ya wife wa' willin' ta le' me die ta get har."

"It wa' Marie who got ya tha help tha' saved yer life," Patrick hissed defensively. "If she wanted ya dead why woul' she help ya?"

"I don't—"

"She go' tha help cos if she hadn' Caitlin woulda died too," Seamus's voice cut through Fiona's when he spoke, his words causing Patrick and Colleen to regard each other with disbelief. "Marie didn' care abou' Fiona…she only wanted Caitlin."

"No, yer wrong," Patrick shook his head and swallowed hard. It was so long ago now but deep down he'd always known that something was off by the way his wife behaved when Fiona survived.

"Why didn' ya make tham listen ta ya Seamus?" Sean asked as he swiped his hand across his forehead. "Ya coulda saved a lo' a time."

"I tried ta tell all a ya bu' none a ya wanted ta listen," Seamus looked at each of them in turn, his eyes falling back onto his mother with disdain. "I knew all along wha' Marie wa' plannin' bu' none a ya woul' listen ta me…"

"I never blamed ya fer any of it Seamus," Fiona told him with a sad smile as she patted his arm. "Ya always looked ou' fer me."

"Yer me sister," he shrugged. "It's always been us two agains' tha family."

"Tha' it has Seamus," Fiona told him sadly, squeezing his hand. "I never did thank ya fer lookin' ou' fer Caitlin."

"I wasn' goin' ta le' tham turn har agains' ya sis," he told her. "I knew how much ya wanted ta keep har."

Silence surrounded them for a few moments until Colleen Glenanne cleared her throat and looked around the room. Her eyes fell onto the older man who was standing in the corner of the room watching all of them in silence. She had no idea who he was but by the way he was hovering, ready to jump in at any second, it was clear that he was close to the couple standing before her. In all this time she hadn't allowed herself to think of what her daughter must have suffered at her hands and she just hoped that one day Fiona would be able to forgive her.

"I can' tell ya how sorry I am child," Colleen's remorseful eyes fell onto her daughter before she lifted her gaze to the man by her side. "Ta both a ya."

"I wan' ya gone," Fiona told her quietly, the fight in her eyes dying away. "I jus' wan' ya ta leave an' never contac' me again…please…jus'…leave…"

"Fiona…" moving forward Pat made a grab for Fiona's arm tugging her around to face him. He was so intent on watching his sister that he didn't see the fist coming towards him, propelling him backwards to career into a workbench.

"Don't put your hands on her," Michael's eyes flared with anger when he stood beside Fiona, his fist still clenched. "Find your wife and _leave_."

"Will tha lot ta ya jus' shut up!" Fiona's voice was shaking and she could feel the nausea rolling in her stomach. Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes and opened them again, blinking hard when Michael surged forward to hold onto her before she fell down.

"Fiona," he asked worriedly when he looked towards Sam who was just as concerned as he was. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she gasped as she silently pleaded for the room to stop spinning. "I just need to eat that's all…"

"You didn't eat again this morning," Michael chided, his voice softening when he held her against him. "You hardly ate anything last night."

"I'll eat when we get home," she sighed, pulling herself up a little straighter to offer him a tight smile. "I'll even let you cook for me."

The smirk that lifted his lips died after a few seconds when a shot rang out sending everyone to the floor.

"Sam," Michael hissed, pulling his gun out from the back of his jeans. "Stay with my mom and Caitlin—"

"Sure thing brother," Sam told him when he was already heading out of the door.

Seamus lifted his head and peered out towards where the shot had come from and instantly felt the rush of adrenalin that surged through him. Moving on instinct he got to his feet and bolted out of the door, fury spurring him onwards

"Seamus…," Sean hissed after his brother when he darted out of the garage and sped towards a man who was standing utterly still and staring into the garage with a stunned expression.

Trevor stared at the gun in his hand and started to shake uncontrollably when he realised what he had done. Opening his fingers he allowed the gun to fall from his hand and was totally unprepared for the man who grabbed his arms and threw him onto the ground.

Seamus lifted his fist in the air and punched the prone man who began rambling about a crazy woman, guns and money. Lifting his arm again Seamus delivered a punch that shattered Trevor's nose, causing blood to splatter over his t-shirt. Again he clenched his fist, propelling it towards the taxi driver's face but Sean caught his arm in mid flow.

"Tha guns are in tha house…" he growled before he looked down at the bloodied mess of the man on the floor and shook his head. "Ge' ma inside tha house an' tell Patrick ta find his wife befer McBride does."

Colleen's scream echoed throughout the garage and then everything became one chaotic mess. Falling to his knees, Michael's eyes widened in shock only to quickly turn to despair when he crawled towards the woman he loved.

"FIONA," he yelled as he held his hands over the deep red stain that was forming over Fiona's shirt. "Fi…"

"Michael…"Fiona's voice gasped out as she grasped hold of his hand with bloodied fingers. "Caitlin…"

"Sam's with her, it's okay," he soothed softly when he pulled the shirt aside to see the bloodied mess carved into her upper arm, close to her other wound that was still in the process of healing.

"No…I want you to stay with her…this is nothing…just a scratch like last time," pulling herself upwards she tried to push his hand away to prove to him that she could do this on her own but her stomach rebelled and she dry heaved onto the concrete floor beside her.

Sean grabbed the man off of the floor, yanking him to his feet and dragged him into the garage where he was met with the sight of his sister bleeding and heaving onto the floor. Fury welled up inside him and he turned to the sobbing man behind him, dragging him further into the garage before he turned around and threw him against the wall with a loud thud.

"Ya shot me sister ya _bastard_," he seethed, turning towards the battered man again, ready to kick him in the groin but stopped when he heard Sam's urgent voice yelling out to Michael. Turning to see what was wrong he stepped away and watched his sister's face grow pale before Sam had even said a word, and right in that moment he knew something was very wrong.

"Caitlin's gone," Sam gasped, his face growing ashen when he saw Fiona crumble back down to her knees. "And Mike…so is your mom."

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Thank you for all of your reviews, PM's and favourite story and author adds. I really do appreciate all of your comments. I'm trying to reply personally as much as I can but RL has kept me busy this week. To all my anon reviewers too, thank you very much for your support on here and on twitter.**

**As always special thanks to Purdy's Pal, Daisyday and Jedi Skysinger for reading through parts of this**

16

Fiona's eyes glazed over when she tried to process what had just happened. Chaos had erupted around her but all she could do was sit numbly in the same spot while she fought to regain her senses.

These last few days had been like a dream, propelling her into a blissful life that she never thought she would ever have. The yelling around her rebounded inside her head and she closed her eyes to try and block it out. Her baby was gone…once again ripped away from her to cause a pain far worse than anything else she had ever experienced and she had to wonder if she was finally waking up.

Taking a deep breath she swallowed hard and opened her eyes before she slowly got to her feet, urging her body to cooperate. Her body swayed when she turned towards the open garage doors where she could see Michael and Sam looking up and down the street, and she could already feel the deep swell of dread rushing through her body to force a noise out of her that was something between a cry and a wail.

The sound caused Michael to race back to her side, his own eyes clouding over with worry. She found herself grasping for him desperately, chanting their daughter's name over and over until she was screaming it and sobbing it at the same time. Michael's arms came around her to hold her up when she tried to move forward.

Michael tightened his hold on her and turned her towards him to muffle her sobs into his chest while he tried not to show her how terrified he was with her outburst. In all the years he had known her he had never witnessed this kind of reaction. She had always been so strong, even after everything he had put her through, but this what she was showing now was pure pain and he didn't know what he could do to stop it.

Sam gasped in a breath and grabbed hold of the man who was slumped in a bloodied heap at the back of the garage and glared down at him. Dragging him upwards he rammed him against the wall, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt in his hands before he felt himself snap.

"_WHERE_ IS _SHE_?" he yelled, pulling him forward before slamming him against the wall again. "WHAT THE _HELL_ DID YOU DO?"

"She…she offered me…two grand so she could grab her kid and the woman…who took her, and get her to…the docks…" Trevor choked, his throat clogged with his own blood. Coughing again he gasped in a breath when Sam shook him.

"I'll go," Sean's voice echoed throughout the garage when he walked towards Michael and Fiona. "I'll bring har back ta ya Fiona, I promise ya I will."

"No, I should be there," Michael told him urgently. "We should both—"

"Listen, ya need ta look after har," Sean's voice cut through his. "I'll head on ou' an' ya can follow."

Sam loosened his grip on Trevor and turned away, uncaring that the bloodied man slid down the wall into a heap on the floor. Looking towards his two friends he moved forward and nodded towards Sean in a silent acknowledgement before he held his hand out for the keys to the charger.

"I'll go too," he nodded. "We'll find her and Maddie…"

"I should—"

"Not this time brother," Sam told him, his voice cracking as he spoke. Nodding towards Fiona he swallowed the lump in his throat when he saw her slump against Michael, her whole body shaking. Turning away he followed Sean out of the garage, turning one last time to address his friend, "She needs you."

Michael's mind was in complete turmoil. He wanted to race after Sam and Sean and be the one to bring his daughter home but at the same time he was caught between terror and worry when the woman in his arms seemed to sag against him.

Seamus shook his head in frustration. This was just like before when he'd had to watch his sister lose her child the first time around. He couldn't bear to see her in so much pain, and all of it because of this mess his family had created. A low hiss escaped his lips when he spun around to glare at the bloodied figure who was whimpering and rocking back and forth.

"Tha' little girl's mammy is righ' over thare," he growled as he yanked him away from the wall and dragged him across to where Michael was trying to soothe his girlfriend while trying to keep himself from breaking apart. Grabbing hold of Trevor's bloodied chin, Seamus forced him to look at them. "An' tha's har da'."

"I didn't…know…" Trevor's voice grew hollow as he tried to pull away but Seamus wasn't releasing his hold. "She said…the kid was…hers."

Fiona suddenly pushed away from Michael, the raw pain in her eyes visible for everyone to see but she didn't bother to even try and hide it. She fought to reach through her own pain but she couldn't control the ache that ripped throughout her body. Pain gave way to frustration and her eyes flashed with fury when she turned her attention onto the man who had helped Marie take her child. Michael made a grab for her but she shoved him away from her as she turned towards Trevor, her fist already clenched.

"Where did she take my daughter?" she asked lowly, her voice dipping to an unnervingly level as she edged towards him with fire in her eyes.

Trevor gasped and coughed within seconds but shook his head when she stepped even closer. All she could focus on was the loss that cut through her, the pain it carved hurting just as much, if not more than the first time. Clenching her fist she shook her head, desperately trying to clear her mind but she couldn't see through the fog of swirling loss that scorched her heart.

"Fiona—"

Michael moved up behind her and took hold of her arm but she spun around and lashed out, shoving him with every ounce of strength she had, propelling him backwards before she turned back towards the man who had shot her.

"Where _is_ she?" she asked again, her voice cracking beneath the strain. When he didn't answer she looked behind him towards Patrick who was helping their mother to her feet and felt the fury of all those years ago rampage through her body. Moving forward she cracked her fist beneath Trevor's chin, sending him backwards to land in a heap on the floor. His whimpering only infuriated her more and some of the old Fiona Glenanne emerged in a furious miasma when she surged forward, kicking him in the stomach. She delighted in his yelp of pain and pulled her leg back to kick him again but Michael pulled her back before she could inflict her next blow.

"What the HELL are you doing?" she spat, whirling around to face him. "That bastard took our baby and you're not doing a _DAMN_ thing about it."

Michael caught her hand before she could connect with his face and held onto her, fury flaring in his eyes. "What do you want me to do Fiona?" he asked, his voice hissing through his lips. "You think by beating him senseless he's going to tell us anything?"

"YEAH. I DO," she growled angrily, pulling out of his grip to turn back towards the trembling wreck of a man who was holding his hands up in surrender.

"I…she just paid me to…follow him…and take her and the kid to the docks," he pointed towards Michael but lowered his hand when the dark haired man's eyes pierced right through him. "Then…she changed it…"

Fiona's eyes grew dark when she spun around to Michael who was looking just as shocked as she was. Disbelief rampaged through her body to mingle with the hollowness that encompassed her heart. "He followed you?"

"I—"

"You're a spy…_and_ you _let_ him _follow_ you?" Fiona's eyes flared with fire, her fury causing her to beat her fist against his chest, the force rocking him backwards. "_You_ led him _here _to our _baby_."

"I was trying to get back here because you didn't answer your phone," Michael's voice rose when he grabbed her balled fists and pushed her away from him, pain controlling the words he unleashed. "I wouldn't have _missed_ the tail if you'd just done _what _I asked _you _to do."

"Me?" spinning around, Fiona clenched her teeth and stepped towards him menacingly.

"See, this is exactly the reason _why _spies don't have families because you make mistakes_,_" he told her, his own torrid emotions fuelling his words. It wasn't until he heard her sharp intake of breath that he realised what he'd said and when he lifted his eyes to offer her an apology he could already see the damage his words had caused.

The light in Fiona's eyes seemed to die as she took a step away from him. Her breath came in ragged gasps and she closed her eyes, the pressure causing the welling tears to slip down her cheeks. Everything came crashing down all at once sending her on the downwards spiral that had sucked her down with it when she'd lost Michael and Caitlin the first time around. Opening her eyes she could see the remorse in his, but when he moved to touch her she stepped back, shaking her head.

"You're a _bastard_ Michael Westen," she told him lowly, her voice shaking. After everything he'd told her, after he'd convinced her he wanted this life…Shaking her head she closed her eyes and tried to process what was happening. She could hear her mother's voice calling her name but that only served to infuriate her more. Everyone…all of them had set out to hurt her.

Michael could see her slipping and he held his hand up to silence Colleen Glenanne who was glaring at him furiously. Edging closer he knew he had to repair the damage his careless words had caused, even though he knew she thought he didn't care.

"Fiona," closing his eyes briefly, Michael opened them again and reached for her but she moved away. He hadn't meant it to sound the way it came out, he'd had a taste of what having a family was and he never wanted to give that up, not now. "I didn't mean…I didn't—"

"You meant every damn word," she growled. "You never wanted to be with me. You only changed your mind when you knew about Caitlin."

"After everything we've been through?" he asked, shaking his head in disbelief. "You think I—"

"All this time…I knew you didn't want this…I knew…" turning away from him she moved towards the open garage, shaking off his hand when he tried to turn her around. "I knew it was going to end…I just didn't think it would be…so soon…"

"Fiona, look…I'm sorry—"

"You're just like them. They only wanted Caitlin," she spat, her hand waving towards her mother and brother. "They didn't care about me; all they wanted was my baby."

"Fiona, tha' no' true," Colleen told her, her voice begging her to understand. "I wanted ta help ya, I wanted ya ta—"

"Wha', not bring shame onta tha family?" Fiona's eyes bored into her mother's, her anger seeping through her words. "Ya wa' ashamed a me weren' ya mammy? Jus' come ou' an' say it…I dare ya to."

"It wasn' like tha'—"

"No?" Fiona's temper gathered momentum when she glared at the three people who were watching her losing her tenuous control. Her stomach rolled and she could already feel her emotions slipping but she wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of seeing her fracture before their eyes, not this time. "Ya can all go ta hell…tha whole stinkin' lot ta ya."

"Fiona," Michael's voice cut through her anger and for a moment he saw her eyes soften before her tough mask fell again.

"I don' have anythin' left ta give ya," she told him, forcing the words out of her mouth before they choked her. "I'm goin' ta get me babby back from tha' bitch and I swear ta ya now I'll pu' a bullet right between har eyes befer I let har leave."

Michael's eyes flared with worry when he looked down to the floor to see the blood dripping from her open wound. In all the chaos he'd forgotten and by the looks of it so had she. Shaking his head he moved towards her, intent on leaving with her when she spun to face her mother and brother.

"So do ya wan' this one too?" Fiona hissed angrily as she placed her hand over her abdomen. "Ya wan' ta take this one off me too? Is tha' wha' ya want?"

Michael's eyes dropped to Fiona's hand over her stomach and he felt his heart thudding inside his chest. She was…pregnant?

"Fi…" Michael's voice dipped to a whisper when he looked down at her flat stomach in disbelief before he traced her body all the way back to her face. "You're…when?"

"When what?" she asked haughtily. "Spy's _don't_ have families remember."

Shaking his head Michael moved forward but stopped when his phone sprang to life in his pocket. Reaching towards Fiona he grabbed hold of her hand and felt his heart clench in his chest when she looked upon him with empty eyes. He glanced down at the phone in his hand and gasped in a breath before he pressed the phone to his ear.

"Mom…"

Fiona looked up at him and felt herself beginning to crumble once more. She could see his eyes flood with emotion, a sight that caused her knees to buckle beneath her. Surging forward, Michael caught her before she could fall and clung to her limp body when she began to shake.

"Stay where you are," he almost laughed into the phone and closed it off before he reached out to hold onto Fiona's body, shaking her ecstatically.

"She's gone…" Fiona's breath caught in her throat and she shook her head in denial, "Isn't she…she…"

"She's okay," Michael laughed, yanking her towards him to crush her against his chest. Wrapping his arms around her he pressed his lips into her hair and kissed the soft strands before he pulled back to look down at her. "When mom heard someone trying the door she grabbed your gun and took Caitlin into the back. They're inside."

Fiona's eyes grew wide when she tried to fathom what he was trying to tell her. Her legs felt like lead and she was finding it increasingly hard to hold her own weight as she struggled to keep herself steady. Sudden awareness dawned in her eyes but she couldn't seem to speak. Her mouth opened and she felt herself shaking uncontrollably as the world around her grew dark and she crumbled into Michael's arms.

000

Both Sam and Sean knew how important bringing Caitlin and Madeline back safely was, not only to Michael and Fiona but for the Glenanne's too. It was pretty clear by everything that Marie had put Fiona through over the last few years had been brought to a complete standstill when O'Neil had turned up in Miami.

There was no doubt in Sean's mind that Marie had been behind the whole thing with O'Neil and it gave him a little ebb of satisfaction when he realised that by giving up Fiona's location the whole thing had literally come back to bite her in the backside.

"We have to find her before she disappears with Caitlin," Sam's voice broke through the silence, but his words were more to appease himself that the man sitting beside him. "Losing her will destroy Mike and Fi."

"We'll get har back ta tham."

Sam glanced at the man sitting in the passenger seat and sighed heavily when he realised he still didn't know a lot about him at all. They were nearing the docs when he tried to say something that would ease a little of the silence that surrounded them.

"I've known Mike a long time," he started. "When I met back up with him after he came back from Ireland he was different…and I guessed he'd met a girl over there."

Sean stared straight ahead, his eyes narrowing to slits as he listened. He knew all too well what effect McBride had on the _girl_ he'd met. He also knew the devastation he'd left behind when he disappeared without a word.

"Let me tell ya I was kinda shocked, even though he never came out and said it," Sam continued, trying to get even a spark of emotion from Sean Glenanne. "He obviously cared a lot about her."

"He cared abou' har so much tha' he left har alone and pregnant," Sean told him coldly, keeping his eyes fixed on the road. "I can forgive him cos he didn' know, bu' he hurt har all tha same."

"Hey I didn't say I understood it," Sam sighed. "I just wanted you to know that I was there when he came back and I saw what leaving her did to him."

"He loved har. I'm sure a tha' now, bu' back then…" Sean sighed as he remembered the first time he'd seen the adoration in his sister's eyes "…Ma really didn' like him at first. She though' he wa' leadin' har away from tha family so she slapped him one…"

"She did what?" Sam asked incredulously. "He never mentioned that."

"Ya she decked him righ' thar an Fiona screamed tha place down!" Sean chuckled with the memory but the smile soon slipped from his lips when they approached the docks.

Sam slowed the charger to a near crawl; both men looked down the gaps between the passing containers, searching for any sign of Marie and the missing taxi.

"Let's hope she hasn't called in any of O'Neil's buddies," Sam sighed when he turned the car down another row of stacked containers.

"I doubt they'll have anythin' ta do wit' har righ' now, no' after wha' happened ta him," Sean told him distractedly as he turned his head to look down another narrow row. Sitting up straighter in his seat he tapped Sam on the elbow and pointed to what had caught his attention. "Down thare at tha end."

"Is that…?" Sam asked when they both saw the taxi in the distance and a dark haired woman pacing up and down, obviously agitated. Stopping the car Sam pulled some binoculars out of the glove compartment and lifted them up to his eyes, scanning the area for any signs of Madeline and Caitlin.

"Ya tha's har," Sean growled. "Ya need ta ge' us closer so I can grab har."

"Now hold your horses," Sam turned to look at the man beside him. "You're just like your sister rushing in there guns blazing."

"I don' see us runnin' anywhere," Sean groused as he reached for the door handle. "We need ta move."

"No, not yet," shaking his head, Sam lifted the binoculars up to his eyes again only to throw them onto the dashboard when Sean pushed the door open. "SEAN."

"I'll deal wit' har an' I'll let ya grab McBride's ma and tha babby."

"Wait!" Sam hissed, reaching across the seat to hold onto Sean's arm, pulling him back inside the car. "You can't just go chargin' in there. She might not be alone."

"Wha' ya goin' on abou'…a course she's—" Sean's voice died on his lips when he sat back when he saw his sister in law look down at something in her hand before she threw it onto the ground. "I guess she didn' ge' tha help she wanted after all!"

"Well let's not be hasty," Sam told him calmly, even though he wanted to race towards the woman who had taken his family. "She could still hurt 'em."

"Nah, no' tha babby. Tha woman's besotted with har," Sean told him when his phone began to ring from inside his pocket. Delving inside he pulled his phone out and looked down at the screen, relieved to see his brother's name highlighted there.

"Yeah, but she ain't besotted with Maddie now is she?" Sam asked, not expecting an answer as he reached for the binoculars again. "If she hurts either of 'em you do know Fi'll kill her don't ya?"

Sean nodded his head and gave him a sideways glance before he clicked the phone on and pressed it against his ear. He heard his brother speak his name but he cut him off before he could get any words out.

"Seamus," he started, keeping his voice low as he spoke. "Tell Fiona we found tha cab…"

Sam was caught between listening to snippets of Sean's phone call and keeping his eyes on the taxi and the woman who was pacing up and down beside it. Shaking his head in frustration he slammed the binoculars down onto his lap only to lift them back to his eyes a second later.

"There's no sign of Maddie or Caitlin," he groused as he shifted in his seat, mumbling to himself. "This isn't good."

"Ya jokin'," Sean's voice broke through Sam's thoughts and he turned to look at the man beside him curiously when he sat up straighter in his seat. "Tha's great news, ya I'll tell 'im…wha' do ya wan' ta do abou' Marie? Wan' me ta grab har fer ya?" Sean nodded silently and closed off the phone before he turned to the man sitting beside him in the car. "Tha babby an' har nana are safe. Thay were in tha house."

"You're kiddin' me?" Sam gasped, suddenly feeling his spirits lift when his lips rose into a smile. "Good ol' Maddie, I knew she'd come through."

"Pa' wan's ta deal with Marie his own way," Sean told him as he kept his eyes focused on the woman who was pacing backwards and forwards beside the cab, ranting to someone who wasn't there. "She's nuts!"

"You can say that again," Sam sighed. "How do ya wanna do this? Grab her and throw her in the trunk?"

"Ya know ya yanks have a funny way a sayin'stuff," Sean grinned, shaking his head in amusement. "Whare I come from it's a boot."

"And ya call us weird!" Sam scoffed.

"Funny!" Sean raised an eyebrow sarcastically and kept his eyes focused on the woman who had started to kick the doors on the cab before she leant against it and screamed into the air.

"Okay, we'll grab her and take her to the loft."

"Don' ya think Michael's goin' ta be pissed tha' ya used his flat fer har?" Sean asked him when he pulled his gun out of the waistband of his jeans. "We'll have ta tie har up."

"Why do I get the feeling you're the one who wants to do the tying?" Sam asked with a grin when he manoeuvred the charger around, speeding up to where Marie was thumping the roof of the cab. She was in mid turn when Sam screeched the charger to a stop beside her and before she could even register what had happened, Sean was out of the car and had his arms clamped around hers.

"Ya bastard," Marie hissed when she tried to yank herself out of his iron cast grip. "le' me go."

"I don' think so," Sean's fingers gripped her arms harder causing her skin to redden beneath his touch. Dragging her towards the trunk of the car he waited for Sam to pop it open before he threw her inside, ignoring the protesting wails she omitted when he held her down.

Sam leant into the trunk and pulled out some old rope that Fiona had thrown in from their last job and looked up at Sean, both of them trying to decide how they were going to do this.

"You hold and I'll tie?" Sam asked nonchalantly when he held the rope up as some sort of prize.

"Whatever, le's jus' get har away from here so Pa' can deal with har."

"Pa's here?" Marie hissed when she turned her head. "Wha's he doin' here? He wasn' supposed ta be here—"

"Stop ya whining woman," Sean griped as he held her steady while Sam tied her arms behind her back. "Save it fer Pa'."

Stepping away from the car, he stood back when Sam slammed the trunk down with a bang before they both moved around to climb into the car. Neither spoke when Marie cussed from inside the trunk, kicking the inside loudly while she screamed. Shaking his head, Sean opened the door again and moved around to the back of the car, opening the trunk.

"Yer a bastard…I'll make sure ya pay fer this…I'll—"

Surging forward Sean balled his fist and hit Marie hard, the impact silencing her immediately as she fell into unconsciousness. He watched for a few silent moments before he stepped back and slammed the trunk shut again, staring at the dark metal that held her entombed.

"Yer'll pay fer what' ya did ta tha family," he growled under his breath, staring at the now silent trunk as if it was going to answer.

When Sam sounded the horn he jolted back to reality and glanced at the back of the car again before he climbed into the charger, pulling the door closed behind him.

000

Michael carried Fiona's limp body back into the house and tried not to let the fear he felt show in his eyes. His mother was holding Caitlin back a little and trying to calm the child down when she saw her mother's unconscious form, but no amount of soothing words were enough to appease the crying child.

Seamus followed close behind, trailing his mother behind him as they came to a stop just inside the door. Letting go of his mother's arm, Seamus moved towards Madeline and looked down at the little girl who was struggling against her.

"It's goin' ta be okay squirt," he told her softly as he squatted down beside her. "Yer mammy jus' needs ta rest a bi'."

His words did nothing to placate the child and for one small moment he felt a pang of jealousy course through him but he quickly pushed it away. There used to be a time when Caitlin came to him when she was upset, but since she'd arrived here she'd seemed to fit right into Fiona's and Michael's lives so perfectly. So much had happened since then and the four days they had been in Miami had seemed like four years. Reaching out a hand he ruffled her hair but she moved her head away, her eyes fixed on her father.

"Mammy…" she wailed, pulling on Madeline's hands around her waist as she tried to run towards her father who carried Fiona over to the couch.

"It's okay sweetheart," Madeline soothed, even though the sight before her was so similar to the one she'd witnessed only a few weeks ago.

"I wan' ta see mammy," Caitlin's bottom lip began to tremble as big round tears fell from her eyes to tumble over her cheeks. Moving her tiny hands over Madeline's fingers that were interlaced around her, she tried to prize them apart but only became more frustrated when they wouldn't move. "Daddddy…"

Michael lifted his eyes away from Fiona's pale face and looked over to where his mother was holding Caitlin and for a moment he wished he could take back the hurtful words he'd spoken only a short time ago. He was still in some element of shock and didn't know whether Fiona's outburst about pregnancy was just to get back at her mother or because she was actually pregnant. Either way he knew he had a lot of work to do to break down all of those walls that she'd erected back around herself.

Caitlin's voice was causing his heart to ache and in that moment all he wanted was to hold her close and take her and Fiona as far away from here as he could. Holding out his arms he watched as Madeline released her hands, unclasping her locked fingers so that Caitlin could escape.

Within seconds Caitlin was running towards her father, her cries turned into sobs when she thudded into Michael's chest, wrapping her arms around him so tightly that she knocked the wind right out of him. Closing his eyes he held her close and kissed her cheek before he slowly eased her backwards so that he could see her tear stained face.

"Hey, are you doing okay?"

"Nana made…me wai' in…tha bedroom," she told him through sobs. "An' thare wa' a big bang…"

"It's okay," he soothed pulling her back into his arms again, holding onto her so tightly.

"I don' wan' ta stay at nana's," she whimpered against him, her tiny body shaking. "I wan' us…ta go home…"

"We will," Michael's voice lowered into a whisper as he pressed soft kisses into her hair. "I promise."

Caitlin nodded her head and pulled back slightly so that she could see his face and wiped the back of her hand across her cheek. Looking down at her mother, her bottom lip started to tremble once more when she saw the blood over her arm.

"Mammy…" she whimpered as she clung to her father. "Why's mammy bleedin'?"

"She's okay," Michael soothed. "She just needs to rest."

"Ferever?" Caitlin sniffed as she looked up at him with wide, fearful eyes.

"No honey," he told her softly. "Not forever."

Madeline wiped her damp eyes when she came towards them and perched on the coffee table, letting her eyes linger over Fiona's prone form. She could see by the desperation in her son's eyes that he was terrified and before she could even think about what she was doing she moved from the table and onto her knees.

"Sweetheart," she started as she ran a hand over her granddaughter's hair. "Come and sit here with me—"

"NO!" Caitlin gasped and wrapped her arms tighter around her father's neck, refusing to let him go. Shaking her head she clung to him, burying her head into his shoulder.

"I promise as soon as I make sure your mom's okay, we'll go home," Michael whispered into her ear, squeezing her tightly against him. "But we have to let her wake up first."

Caitlin's watery eyes looked down at her mother and she sniffed back a sob as she nodded her head slowly before she looked back at her father. "Is mammy sleepin'?"

"Yes," he told her softly. "But it's a different kind of sleep…I know she'd like to hear your voice though."

"Even if she's sleepin'?" Caitlin told him, sniffing back tears as she looked down at her mother. "Wha' if she doesn' hear me?"

"Your mommy loves you," Madeline told her, her own voice breaking when she looked down at Fiona's face. "She'll hear you."

Caitlin moved back slightly and rested her forehead against her father's before she wiped the back of her hand across her cheek. "Okay."

Shifting closer to the couch, Madeline sat down and patted her knee for her granddaughter. "And she needs you to be a brave girl and let your daddy fix her arm."

Caitlin looked back towards her father and nodded slowly before she loosened her arms so that he could place her on the floor. For a moment he felt the loss of her and pulled himself back quickly before he reached for her again. Getting to his feet he looked down at his girlfriend before he bent down to scoop her up in his arms to carry her towards his old bedroom.

000

Fiona's eyes snapped open when pain ripped through her arm and she tried to pull herself away from the source but she had something weighing her down. Lifting her head slightly she glanced down to see her daughter curled up against her side, fast asleep. Her heart swelled and she moved her uninjured arm around the sleeping child, pulling her closer so she could reach down to place a kiss on top of her head.

"Hold still," Michael told her gently when he placed a piece of large square gauze over her stitched wound. "I'm almost done."

"What…" Fiona tried to speak but her mouth wouldn't seem to work. Running her tongue over her dry lips she took a breath and looked up at him, watching him silently while he placed the medical supplies back into the box on the bed.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked her as he reached out to take her hand in his, holding their clasped fingers against his knee. "I didn't want to give you anything for the pain…just in case you're…"

"I'm sorry," she whispered softly when his voice trailed away. She hadn't intended to just come out and say it, even though she didn't know for sure yet. Her eyes swelled with emotion that spilled out onto her cheeks, but even when she tried to stop the tears he surprised her by reaching forward to wipe them away.

"It's okay," he whispered softly as he shuffled closer, his attention drawn down to the head of dark hair that cascaded across Fiona's side. "Caitlin didn't want to leave you."

"Caitlin…" Fiona's gravelled whisper brought his attention back to her face. "Your mom kept her safe."

"Yes she did," he told her with a smile. "And Sam has Marie back at the loft…so we don't have to worry about her anymore."

For a moment they just gazed at each other, both of them lost in their own thoughts. Michael knew his words had hurt her and he was torn between lying down next to her or leaving to go to the loft. As if she sensed his indecision, Fiona lifted her hand up to him, pulling him down to lie next to her so that Caitlin was sandwiched between them.

"So, it's over?" she whispered. "All of it?"

Michael could already see the uncertainty clouding her eyes and he knew that her question wasn't just about Marie. Lifting himself up on his elbow he leaned across to kiss her lips before peppering kisses across to her ear and whispered, "I'm not going anywhere."

"Ca' we go home now yer up?" Caitlin's voice surprised them and they both looked down to see her grinning up at them.

"How long have you been awake?" Fiona asked with a smile when Caitlin shifted to move up towards her, placing a kiss onto her cheek.

"Daddy squished me when he kissed ya," she giggled when she held her hand over her mouth. "Are ya better now mammy?"

Fiona smiled when she heard her daughter's accent shift slightly and caught Michael's nod indicating that he had heard it too. "I'm better now you're here."

"I'm stayin' wit' ya forever," Caitlin beamed as she settled back down to lay her head on her mother's chest. "Ca' we go home?"

Fiona rolled onto her side and glanced down at her bandaged arm before she looked from her daughter and then up to her lover. She could see the concern in his eyes, mixed with the love she thought she might never see again after what she'd told him. Reaching over to Michael she traced his lips with her fingertips and closed her eyes when he dipped his head to place a kiss into the centre of her palm.

"Soon baby," she smiled, laying her head back onto her pillow. "I just want to stay here with you and daddy for a while, okay?"

Caitlin grinned and snuggled into her mother's side before she reached across to pull her father's arm over both of them, encasing herself in between them. "Okay," she beamed, kissing her mother once more before she settled against her and yawned before she closed her eyes.

Fiona looked across to the man she loved and smiled when he edged closer to place a kiss onto her forehead before he laid back down onto the pillow to watch her. Spreading his fingers over her hip he sighed happily when she enclosed her hand over his. They still had some things to talk about, and he knew whatever she had to tell him about this new baby he wouldn't let her go through it alone this time. His eyes drifted back up to her face and he watched her eyes slip closed before he finally felt himself relax. They were going to be okay.

TBC


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has left reviews on here and on twitter. Thank you also for all of your PM's and favourite story and author adds. I really do appreciate every single comment.**

**Thank you to my wonderfully talented friends, Purdy's Pal, DaisyDay and Jedi Skysinger for reading through parts of this. And to my lovely friend Haunted-Eternity who passed her presentation with flying colours. Well done my friend, very proud of you.**

17

Madeline poured hot water into a small cup and silently watched Colleen Glenanne's interactions with her son. The woman was almost impossible to keep a conversation with and she had to wonder how such a beautiful, open woman like Fiona had come out of that family. Maybe she was biased, no, she was definitely biased. She loved Fiona like a daughter and she just hoped if Michael and Fiona carried on the way they were, then that small technicality would soon become a reality.

Sam had returned a short time ago and rescued the poor man in the garage before Seamus killed him. She could hear the screaming from inside the house and even though she knew she couldn't do anything to stop it, she just couldn't seem to erase the sounds from her mind. Madeline wasn't a stranger to violence, she'd suffered at the hands of her husband for many years, but even the level of hatred that had poured out of Seamus Glenanne turned her stomach and sent her blood running cold.

To think of her little grandbaby growing up in that environment was something she didn't even want to think about. It was bad enough that her two boys witnessed as well as endured the blows that Frank rained down on the three of them. She was damned sure she wouldn't ever let that happen again.

Pulling some milk out of the fridge she poured some into the hot tea and watched as the dark liquid turned brown. A few years ago the thought of putting anything in tea or drinking it hot would have caused her to gag, but since she'd met Fiona it had become something she'd always associated with her. Now there was always a box of Fiona's favourite blend in the cupboard, a permanent fixture that belonged there amongst everything else.

"Mrs Westen," Seamus's voice brought her out of her thoughts and she looked up to offer him a small smile.

"Seamus, honey I've made your mom some tea," she told him as she pointed down to it. "How's she doing?"

"She's doin' alrigh' thanks fer askin,'" he nodded. "She wa' just' wantin' ta know if ya know any good hotels…it's getting' late."

"Doesn't she want to wait to see Fiona?" Madeline's question came out in a whisper and she couldn't understand how any mother could turn their back on a child, despite what had happened before.

Seamus sighed heavily and looked behind him at the older woman who was perched on the edge of the couch looking stern and uncomfortable. Shaking his head he turned backed towards Madeline and picked up the tea cup, shrugging his shoulders.

"Thanks fer this," he told her. "If ya coul' find an address…"

Madeline nodded silently and glanced back at the woman who took the tea from her son and nodded towards her in thanks. There was something about Colleen Glenanne that she couldn't quite put her finger on, but the woman just seemed so hard to reach.

Sam was a welcome relief when he came in to the kitchen, rubbing his hands on a towel. He eyed her cautiously before he nodded his head towards the family room, lowering his voice into a whisper. "How's things with you know who?"

"Strained," Madeline groused in a whisper as she reached for her packet of cigarettes and took one out. Her eyes flittered towards the open doorway behind him and felt her stomach lurch. "How's…"

"Oh Trevor's gonna to be just fine," Sam told her reassuringly. "As soon as Mike's up we'll take him to his car, but for now Patrick's keeping him company."

"You left him alone with Fiona's brother?" she gasped, pushing passed him. "Are you insane?"

Sam held onto her arm, keeping her still. "Now don't you be going out there and causing…well, anything."

"Sam—"

"Look, he's fine. Patrick's not gonna do anything to him, I think he's more worried about what he's gonna say to Mike and Fi," shrugging his shoulders he looked across to Fiona's mother who was staring blankly into the space ahead of her before he released his hold. "Why don't you go and check on 'em?"

"They might be sleeping," she told him dubiously before she glanced down at her watch. "But it has been four hours."

"Exactly the reason to get in there and kick Mikey outta bed," Sam grinned as he moved around her to pull a bottle of beer out of the fridge. "I'll keep an eye on your _guests!_"

Madeline couldn't hide the smile she only reserved for her friend when she placed a cigarette against her lips and lit it. Taking a long drag she blew a puff of smoke into the air and eyed him defiantly. "Why don't you do it?"

Looking down at the bottle in his hand, Sam lifted it to his lips and grinned at her before he took a swig of the bitter liquid and swallowed it down. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand he couldn't help the laughter in his voice when he stepped forward to put his beer on the counter. "Okay, but if they're naked I'm outta there!"

"_SAM_," Madeline scolded, stubbing her half smoked cigarette out into the ashtray. "Caitlin is in there with them _and_ Fiona was hurt—"

"Okay, okay," he grinned, holding his hands in the air in surrender. "I'm just sayin'."

"Well don't," she snapped as she moved away from him. "Keep an eye on our _guests._"

000

Madeline tapped on the bedroom door lightly and pressed her ear against the wooden barrier but she couldn't hear anything. She listened for any kind of sign that the occupants in the room were awake, but eventually curiosity got the better of her and she quietly turned the handle and pushed the door open. The door creaked and she scrunched up her eyes. She found herself holding her breath as she opened the door a little wider so she could peer through the gap she'd made.

The sight that greeted her caused her heart to melt and she took a few moments to survey the scene before her. Fiona had her back to the door but she could see Michael's hand draped over her hip, his fingers spread wide. Opening the door further she took one more step inside and stood on her tiptoes to peer over Fiona's shoulder until she saw a mop of dark hair.

Madeline knew she should just turn around and walk back out of the door but she couldn't seem to pull herself away. The small family had been through so much yet here they were now, solid and together and looking so perfect. Even she had to admit that her son's transformation into a father had brought a warmth to her heart and she was so proud of him for not allowing his past experiences to cloud his relationship with his own child.

Taking a step backwards she started to turn around but Michael's soft whisper caused her to stand stock still. She wasn't sure if he was talking to her or if he was talking to Fiona, but either way she had been caught in the act.

"Mom," he asked sleepily before she could escape out of the door, and she found herself turning around to move closer towards the bed.

"Hey," she whispered, keeping an eye on the two sleeping people next to him. "Sorry to wake you honey."

Michael opened his eyes wider and looked over towards Fiona who still had her eyes closed and for a moment he resented the intrusion. Reaching over to her face he brushed her hair away from her cheek before he leaned across the small gap to kiss her forehead. He allowed his lips to linger over her skin for a few moments before he reluctantly pulled away. Leaning backwards he bent to kiss Caitlin's cheek and smiled when she wrinkled her nose only to bury her face into Fiona's side.

Hesitantly he moved backwards to slide off of the bed and sat on the edge of the mattress to run his hands over his eyes. The last thing he wanted to do was leave the warmth of the two people he loved most in the world but when he turned to see his mother's smiling face he couldn't help but return it with a smile of his own. He was happy, really happy and he'd almost forgotten how it felt.

Standing up from the bed he crept around the side and ushered her out of the door before he took one last look behind him. He didn't want to leave them and that was something too that he was unaccustomed to feeling. Everything he thought he'd wanted was slowly slipping further into the back of his mind and if he was really honest with himself he didn't know whether the job was so important anymore.

Stepping out into the hallway he pulled the door closed behind him and lingered there for a few moments as he tried to mentally pull himself away. He'd never felt like this before and the emotions that rampaged around inside him were encompassing everything else to leave him longing to return to the sanctuary of the bedroom.

"Sam's waiting for you in the kitchen he wants to take that taxi driver to his car," Madeline told him, keeping her voice low as she spoke. "How's Fiona?"

"She's sleeping…" sighing heavily Michael ran a hand across his face and glanced back at the closed door behind him. "Okay, just let me tell her I'm going out for a while."

"Don't wake her," Madeline told him softly. "Let her sleep."

"Mom, I'm not leaving without telling her," he told her quietly as he reached for the door handle. "Not this time."

The second the words left his lips, Madeline knew that something had changed. Her son had always been ready to run off within a moment's notice, but this time he seemed reluctant to leave.

"I'll tell Sam to give you a few minutes," she told him as she patted his arm. "Take your time honey."

Michael watched her walk away before he pushed the bedroom door open and moved inside. Fiona was still in the same position as she was when he'd left her a few minutes ago and he found himself looking at his family longingly. Moving towards the bed he sat down on the edge of the mattress and ran his fingers over her hair, rousing her with his touch.

Fiona breathed in deeply and slowly opened her eyes as she tried to focus on her surroundings. Turning her head she looked up towards the man beside her and smiled beautifully when he leaned over to kiss her forehead.

"Hey," she whispered. "What time is it?"

"It doesn't matter," he smiled as he kissed her again, hovering over her lips for a few seconds before he pulled away. "Sam wants me to help him with something, it shouldn't take long."

"Help with what?" she asked, as she pushed the last vestiges of sleep away from her eyes. "I'll get up."

"No, you stay here with Caitlin," he whispered, pushing her back down onto the bed. "It's been a long day for all of us."

"Are you coming back?" her voice was soft as she spoke and she felt her heart shudder a little when his lips rose into a smile.

"As soon as I can," he told her, leaning forward to kiss her again. "We'll stay here tonight and go back to the house in the morning."

"You really think she's going to sleep that long?" Fiona asked with a smile when she glanced down at their sleeping daughter. "She's going to want food soon."

"Then we'll order in," he grinned as he traced his fingertips over her arm being careful to avoid her wounds. "Are you going to be okay?"

For a moment she was taken aback by his concern, she hadn't expected him to be so gentle with her. Looking up into his eyes she smiled when he hovered over her lips, content to bask in the very essence of him.

"I'll be fine," she told him in a whisper, her breath mingling with his when he dipped close to press his lips to hers, lingering there for a few more moments before he pulled away.

"I'll pick something up for us," he whispered as he glanced across at their daughter who moved against Fiona to turn over in her sleep.

"Okay," she whispered, reaching up to lay the palm of her hand over his face. She could see the reluctance in his eyes when he was torn between leaving and staying and she couldn't help but wonder if his hesitation was anything to do with her outburst earlier. Just the thought of how she'd suddenly announced it brought a rush of emotion to her eyes and she cursed herself for being so fragile. This wasn't her, she wasn't like this…

"Hey," his voice brought her eyes back to his and when he reached out to swipe the moisture away from her cheek she knew she was already lost.

"I'm okay," she insisted and smiled shakily just to prove it. "I didn't want you to find out that way…I don't even know if I am…I just—"

"It's okay," he told her softly, his voice breaking through hers. Reaching across the bed he placed his hand over Caitlin's soft hair, stroking the strands with his fingers before he turned his attention back to her. "Having another one of her won't be so bad."

"But your job…"

"Not now," he whispered, the softness in his voice silencing her. "When this is over we'll talk…okay?"

Fiona swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded, still not quite believing that this was the same Michael Westen from a month ago. When he moved to stand she watched him turn back towards her before he reached the door, his gaze meeting hers. His eyes told her the words that he couldn't say and she knew for now that this was enough for her.

With one last smile he opened the door and walked out into the hallway, pulling it closed behind him. For a moment she stared at the wooden barrier and almost wished that he would come back inside, but when he didn't she pushed the quell of loneliness away and turned to snuggle into her daughter, letting her warmth lull her back into slumber.

000

When Michael came out into the family room he could feel Colleen Glenanne's eyes on him almost instantly. He knew he probably owed her some kind of greeting but after what had happened years ago and just recently, he didn't know if he could remain level headed and unbiased.

Nodding to Seamus he hovered near Fiona's mother before he chanced a look in her direction. Her eyes were like Fiona's, and if he looked hard enough he could see some kind of emotion hidden within her depths. His memories of this woman had always been clouded by his feelings towards her, but her aloofness had only caused him to love her daughter more. He was still angry and part of him wanted to ball her out for what she had done to Fiona in his absence, but he knew that when and if that happened, it would be on Fiona's say so, not his.

"She stayin' in thare ferever?" she asked snippily, her Irish twang causing him to narrow his eyes.

Biting his tongue he turned away from her and moved towards Sam who had watched the whole awkward exchange. Shaking his head he indicated for Michael to follow him as he moved towards the open door to where Madeline was smoking a cigarette.

"Mom?" Michael asked when she glanced behind him. "What are you doing out here?"

"It beats sitting in there with that…_that_ woman," she growled. "She's rude and a—"

"I think I got it mom," he sighed as he patted her arm. "Just do me a favour okay…take care of Fi and Caitlin for me?"

Madeline blew a plume of smoke out into the air and smiled warmly at her son before she threw the stub onto the floor and stood on it with her shoe. "You know I will honey, just hurry back so Fiona's family can move to a hotel."

"Sure," he nodded with a smile before he turned to follow Sam into the garage.

Patrick looked up at them when they walked inside and nodded in silent greeting when he moved away from their _prisoner_. For his part Trevor kept his head down and mumbled to himself as he rocked back and forth. Both me looked down at him worriedly before sending accusing looks towards Patrick who held his hands up in surrender.

"I didn' touch tha fella," he protested, stepping backwards. "He's been tha' way since yer pulled Seamus off a him."

"Seamus did this?" Michael asked, shaking his head when he returned his gaze to the broken man sitting on the floor. "We'll take it from here, you should check on your mom."

"He sho' me sister," Patrick told him gravelly, the words hissing from his lips. "He deserved wha' he got."

Sam's eyes snapped up to Patrick, the flare of anger visible in his gaze. "You _hurt _your sister too, what's the difference?"

Patrick stepped forward, his fists already clenched until Michael shot between the two of them, pushing Patrick backwards. "_ENOUGH_."

"Tell ya friend ta keep hi' mouth shu'," Patrick warned, pointing towards Sam as he moved away. "I did wha' I though' wa' righ'."

"Hey I ain't scared a you _PAL_," Sam snapped, moving forward. "_You_ hurt my friend _and_ that little girl in there, so you can threaten me all ya like, I'll threaten ya right back!"

"GUYS…PLEASE," Michael growled, holding his arms out either side of him to shove the two men apart. "Patrick, go inside and talk to your mom. When we get back you can take her to the loft and sleep there for the night."

"Righ'," Patrick hissed, nodding his head as he glared across at Sam. Stepping backwards he eyed his sister's boyfriend and nodded curtly before he disappeared inside the house.

"I'm sorry Mikey but the guy just—"

"It's fine Sam," Michael sighed, focussing his attention on Trevor. "Let's just get him back to his car."

"Right with ya brother," Sam nodded, his lips lifting into a grin as he pulled Trevor to his feet. "Time to go for a ride!"

"What?" Trevor's eyes grew wide and he looked from one man to the other before he shook his head rapidly. "NO…you're gonna kill me."

"We're not gonna kill ya," Sam sighed as he pulled him out of the garage. "You're just gonna go for a ride in the trunk."

"WHAT?" Trevor's mouth opened and closed before he began to whimper as Sam dragged him along until they reached the charger.

"Will you stop whinin'," Sam snapped when he opened the trunk. "Just get in and you'll be fine."

"But—"

Shaking his head Michael sighed heavily and came up behind Trevor, shoving him inside the trunk. Leaning inside he lifted roll of duct tape and waved it over Trevor's face, his eyes silencing the whimpering man instantly.

"That's better," he told him with a tight smile. "We're going to take you back to your car." Moving the tape towards Trevor once more he threw it into the trunk. "So stay quiet and let us do this the easy way, or…"

"Or, I get that little girl's mother out here to silence you the hard way," Sam grinned before he took a step back so that Michael could slam the trunk shut. Turning towards his friend he shrugged his shoulders when Michael was watching him incredulously.

"What?" he asked innocently. "I was just sayin'."

"Sure you were Sam," Michael grinned, shaking his head when they moved towards the front of the car.

000

Fiona lay on her side and watched Caitlin while she slept. She could remember with perfect clarity the moment she had gazed down into her tiny face the second she'd arrived into the world. She'd been so elated but so exhausted and all she'd wanted to do was find Michael and show him what their love had created. She'd always believed that if he'd just seen her then he would love both of them and never leave again.

Back then she had been unprepared for what had happened and how the people who were supposed to love her delivered her the ultimate betrayal. Leaving this little girl had broken her heart and ripped her soul apart, and nothing she went through after losing her came close to how she'd felt back then.

Shifting slightly she moved her hand down her body to rest over her flat stomach and closed her eyes. She didn't even know if she was pregnant, but after O'Neil showed up the first time four weeks ago they hadn't exactly been careful. In the back of her mind she knew herself that there was a new life growing inside her, but she didn't know if she was ready to find out for certain yet.

What if it all went wrong? Could she cope with losing another child like she did Caitlin? What if it was all too much and Michael decided being a father wasn't what he wanted after all? So many doubts swam around inside her mind, pulling at her insecurities until they fell around her one by one. She couldn't go through this alone again, not after everything that happened the first time around. She knew she was being irrational and Michael had proved that he wasn't going to leave her alone like he did before, but the clouds in her head just wouldn't go away.

"Mammy," Caitlin's soft voice brought her eyes down to her daughter and she suddenly felt every one of her fears melt away.

"Hey," she smiled as she reached out a hand to trace a finger over Caitlin's cheek. "We slept for a long time."

"Fer days?" Caitlin asked with a wide grin when she stretched against her mother before snuggling in against her.

"No baby," she chuckled. "Does it feel like days?"

"Yep!"

"So…do you want to get up and see if nana has anything for you to eat?" Fiona asked with a soft smile when she traced a fingertip along Caitlin's nose. "Are you hungry?"

"Ca' we have blueberries?" sitting up on the bed, Caitlin crossed her legs and watched her mother slowly shift onto her back when the smile fell from her face. "Is tha bad man gone?"

"Everything's going to be okay," Fiona soothed, taking hold of Caitlin's smaller hand. "He's gone now."

"Di' daddy make him go?" she asked quietly as she lifted Fiona's hand to her cheek to hold it there as she leant against her. "Is he comin' back?"

"_Who_ baby?" Fiona asked softly as she eased her back down to lay back beside her. "No one is going to hurt you."

"Tha bad man's gone?"

Fiona felt her breath hitch in her throat and she reached out to pull Caitlin against her to hold her close. Inclining her head she pressed a kiss into her hair before she wrapped her in her arms.

"He's gone baby, daddy's taking him away—"

"Bu' wha' if he hurts daddy?" Caitlin gasped and struggled to sit up again. Her wide eyes suddenly flooded with tears and her bottom lip began to tremble when she looked up towards the closed bedroom door.

"Baby, he won't hurt your daddy, I promise you," Fiona told her reassuringly. "He's out right now getting us something for dinner."

"Ya promise?" Caitlin asked tearfully. "I wan' daddy ta come back."

Reaching out to take hold of Caitlin's hand, Fiona gave it a squeeze before she pulled herself upwards to sit on the edge of the bed. Closing her eyes she tried to steady her breathing until the dizziness had passed before she tried to stand. Taking a breath she opened her eyes and turned around to offer her daughter a smile before she held out her hand.

"Come on, we'll call him and you can ask him when he's coming home."

"I ca' talk ta daddy?" Caitlin asked, her eyes widening in wonder. "On yer phone?"

"Yes," Fiona couldn't help the smile that littered her lips when her little girl looked up at her in awe. Stepping closer she reached down to take Caitlin's hand and helped her climb down off of the bed before she led her towards the door.

"Bathroom first?" Fiona asked her with a knowing smile when Caitlin began hopping on the spot. Shaking her head in amusement Fiona led her towards the bathroom and opened the door, ushering her inside.

000

"Are you okay Mikey?" Sam asked curiously when he drove the charger back towards the docks. "You've been suspiciously quiet since we loaded Trevor into the trunk."

"What?" Michael looked up at his friend and blinked rapidly before he shifted in his seat. "Sorry, I was…"

"I noticed," Sam grinned. "Somethin' on your mind there brother?"

Yeah he had a lot on his mind, and most of it involved the woman he'd left back at his mother's house. Shaking his head he smiled despite the situation and before he could even open his mouth, his friend broke into a grin.

"What's so funny?"

"You," Sam chuckled. "You're all domesticated now!"

"I am _not_ domesticated," Michael protested, his eyebrows lifting into a scowl. "I'm just…_distracted_…"

"Distracted huh?" Sam mused dubiously. "Yeah, I believe ya buddy!"

They were silent for a few moments when Michael let out the breath he didn't realise he'd been holding. "Fi's…pregnant."

Sam's eyes shot towards his friend in surprise, he hadn't seen this one coming. "Really?"

"I mean, it's possible, we don't know for sure." Michel turned to look out at the passing scenery and allowed his mind to wander. Caitlin had been with them for only a few days and already he couldn't imagine his life without her. They had forged a relationship so quickly, he already had a strong bond with her and he asked himself over and over how much stronger their bond would be if he'd been there at the very beginning.

"Well there's only one way to find out for sure brother," Sam told him, glancing across at him with a mixture of sympathy and hope. "But if she is, having another kid like Caitlin can't be bad."

No it wouldn't be bad at all and that was the thing that was confusing him. He'd never been around babies or even held one yet the thought of a new baby had caused a rush of excitement to course through him.

His phone started to vibrate inside his pocket and he pulled it out to look down at the screen. Seeing Fiona's name caused his heart to lurch inside his chest and he found himself hurriedly pressing the green button before placing it against his ear.

"Fi—"

"_Daddy?"_

The sound of Caitlin's voice brought a rush of warmth throughout his body and he could already feel himself sinking back into his seat. "Hey," he cooed, his voice causing Sam to raise an eyebrow in amusement.

"_When are ya comin' back?"_ Caitlin told him in a rush, her voice trembling a little as she spoke.

"Soon," he told her, his voice lowering into a whisper. "Are you okay?"

"_Are ya goin' ta ge' some pizza?"_ she asked, the Irish in her voice softening with every passing day. _"An' some blueberries?"_

"Pizza and blueberries," Michael grinned, totally consumed by the child at the other end of the line. "Anything else?"

"_Ummm…"_ her voice broke into a giggle and he heard her squeal with delight before Fiona's voice sounded in his ear.

"_Just pizza will be fine,"_ she told him softly. _"She wanted to talk to you and after everything—"_

"You don't have to explain anything to me, Fi. It's okay," turning away from Sam he moved closer to the window and lowered his voice when he saw the dock approaching. "Listen we're almost there…we'll head back as soon as we're done."

"_Okay…just don't take too long okay…you know what happens when I'm bored..."_

"You're not shooting anyone Fi," he warned, even though his lips turned upwards into a smile. "_Fiona…_"

"_You're no fun Michael!"_

"I'll see you later," he grinned before he pulled the phone away from his ear and switched it off. He looked down at the blank screen with a sigh as he slid it back into his pocket. Glancing sideways he saw the wry grin on Sam's face and all he could do was shake his head. "Just drive Sam!"

"I ain't sayin' nothin'," the older man laughed only to turn serious a second later. Both met sat in silence when Sam manoeuvred the charger around the entrance to the docks and stopped the car. Opening the door, he climbed out to stride towards the back of the car to open the trunk, glancing up at Michael when he threw him a brown envelope.

"Time to go," Michael told the man who just looked up at him with wild eyes. Turning away from him, Michael walked back around to the front of the car and climbed in the driver's side only hit the horn when Trevor seemed to be taking too long.

Trevor blinked and hissed out a breath as Sam yanked him out of the trunk to stand him on his feet. Swaying slightly he cast the man before him a cautious look before he stood himself up a little straighter. "I…how am I supposed to get home? I don't—"

"Here," Sam kept his voice low as he held out the brown envelope and nodded to him to take it. "Your car's at the other end of the dock, there's cash in there."

"How much cash?" Trevor asked when he took hold of the envelope and looked inside. "I was promised two—"

"You really don't want to finish that sentence _pal,_" Sam warned lowly when he stepped a little closer, waving his hand towards the charger. "You shot that man's girlfriend and was gonna help a psycho steal his little girl. Just be thankful it's me out here and not him."

"I'm…sorry," Trevor stuttered and took a step back, clinging to the envelope with a tight grip. "I…"

"Don't breathe a word of this to anyone," Sam warned when he moved towards the front of the charger and pulled the door open. "Or you'll have the whole family on your back."

Shaking his head rapidly Trevor didn't even stop to watch when the charger roared to life. Clutching the envelope tight to his chest he turned away and moved in any direction that he could, not caring where he was going.

Back inside the charger Michael gripped the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles were turning white. He was fighting off his instincts to turn the car around and lash out at the man who had hurt his family but instead he focused on getting back to them.

"You okay Mike?" Sam asked worriedly when Michael's silence unnerved him. "You want me to drive?"

"I'm fine Sam," he replied testily as he forced himself to relax. "When we get back I need you to take Fiona's mother and brother's to the loft."

"The loft huh?" Sam asked in surprise. "You sure about that?"

"Yeah," he nodded, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Sure thing Mike," Sam agreed as he turned to regard his friend thoughtfully, he didn't relish the thought of being in Patrick Glenanne's presence. "So, are you and Fi just gonna to let the whole Glenanne clan slip away? I thought for sure Fi would—"

"No," Michael told him, his voice sounding disturbingly calm. "Tomorrow they can tell me what happened after I left Fiona back in Ireland."

"Okay," San nodded dubiously. "What happens then?"

Michael loosened his grip on the steering wheel and glanced across at his friend. "_Then_ they can explain it all over again to Fi."

"So, you're letting Tinkerbelle loose on her family?" Sam nodded ignoring Michael's wry smile. "You're a braver man than me my friend!"

TBC


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N Thank you to everyone for your reviews here and on twitter. Thanks also for all of your PM's, favourite story and author adds. I really do appreciate every single comment.**

**Special thanks to the ladies of the PCC, my very good friends Purdy's pal, Daisyday and Jedi skysinger for reading through parts of this for me and for making me laugh every day.**

18

Caitlin was up and running towards her father before he could even make it through the door. Handing the pizza boxes to Sam he bent down to scoop her up in his arms, kissing her cheek soundly.

"I brought you pizza," he told her with a smile. "Where's your mom?"

Caitlin looked up at him with wide eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck. Resting her cheek against his she shifted toward his ear. "Me other nana wanted ta talk ta har bu' mammy go' sick."

"Mommy got sick?" Michael asked worriedly when he moved further inside the house to look around the room. He spotted his mother who was trying to make conversation with Fiona's mother but the other woman didn't seem to want to talk. Turning his head back to his daughter he pressed a kiss against her ear before he lowered her onto the floor and motioned for her to go towards Sam who was opening the pizza boxes.

"I'm going to check on your mom," he told her with a smile when she turned around to grab onto his hand. For a moment he was lost in her wide apprehensive eyes and he found himself kneeling down beside her to pull her back into his arms.

"Can we ge' mammy an' go home?" she asked when she slipped her arms around his neck and pressed her nose against his.

"Soon," he grinned, rubbing her nose with his own until she started giggling when he dipped his head to kiss her cheek.

"Hey li'l darlin' I've got all this pizza and no one to share with," Sam's voice caused the little girl to lift her eyes towards him, a beaming smile lifting her lips.

"Ya have ta share wit' me," she told him brightly when she shot forward to hug her father tightly again before she moved out of his arms. Turning towards Sam she moved forward and grabbed hold of his hands, beaming up at him.

"I have to share with you?" he asked teasingly as he scooped her up in his arms and planted a loud kiss onto her cheek before he pulled out a chair and sat her on it. "Here you go honey," he grinned when he opened the box and placed a plate in front of her.

"Thank you," she told him with a smile as she looked up at him adoringly before she pulled a slice of pizza out of the box.

Sam and Michael shared a look when they both distinctly heard the Irish dropping from her accent. Nodding his head in approval Sam lowered his eyes back to the little girl and laid his hand on head. "You are very welcome honey."

With his daughter eating and Sam watching over her, Michael turned away from them and moved towards the small table where Seamus and Patrick were playing cards. He hadn't expected to see them looking so calm, not after everything that had happened, but still he was grateful for the reprieve in the madness that came with the Glenanne family.

Seamus lifted his head and met Michael's gaze, nodding in greeting he looked back down to the cards he held in his hand before he laid one down. "It's yer turn Pa'."

"Do ya wan' ta join us McBride?" Patrick asked without taking his eyes off of the cards in his hand.

"Uh no," Michael told the both of them, shaking his head emphatically. "I need to check in Fi."

Patrick Glenanne glanced up at his brother but avoided Michael's eyes when he laid one of his own cards onto the table. "Do ya remember whe' we use' ta play poker back in Ireland McBride?" he asked as he slowly lifted his eyes to look at him. "Ya never coul' concentrate on tha game."

"I remember," Michael nodded, his mind drifting back to those many nights so long ago.

"Ya always had one eye on that door fer har ta come home," he chuckled. "Nothin's changed!"

Michael opened his mouth to protest but a sudden burst of memories washed over him and he couldn't help but remember how true Patrick's words actually were. He _had_ always been distracted…

_He was starting to feel like part of the family and that made his lies all the more painful. When he'd taken this assignment he hadn't meant to become so attached to the Glenanne's, and he never expected to fall in love with one of them._

_Sean's voice broke through his thoughts and brought him back into the room. Looking around the table at the four men he shrugged his shoulders and blushed slightly when he realised that he'd drifted off into his own thoughts. "I…wha' wa' ya sayin' thare Sean?"_

_Laughter suddenly erupted around the table and Patrick leaned across to slap his arm. Shaking his head he sat back in his chair and regarded his sister's boyfriend with amusement._

"_Ya have a nice trip?"_

_Michael shook his head in confusion and looked around the table when the other four men broke into laughter again. "Huh?"_

"_Yer mind's wanderin' McBride," Sean laughed. "Ya nee' ta lighten up man if yer goin' ta keep courtin' our sister…she'll ea' ya up an' spit ya ou'!"_

"_I wasn'…I…" shaking his head Michael tried to focus on the cards in his hand but he couldn't concentrate. He'd never felt like this before, not with anyone. He hadn't seen Fiona all day and it was starting to mess with his mind. He'd never missed anyone in his life, not like this. Sitting up straighter in his seat he grinned widely mainly to cover up the uneasiness in his heart._

"_Ahh we're jus' yankin' ya chain thare Micheal, ya kno' damn well if we ever tried ta stop ya seein' har she'd kill tha lot ta us," Patrick grinned as he pushed the bottle of whiskey towards him. "Fill ya glass man, ya drink like a girl!"_

_The kitchen door suddenly opened and Fiona came into the room to dump a duffel bag onto the kitchen counter with a loud thud. Looking around the room she spotted her boyfriend and offered him a beautiful smile before she stared at each of her brother's in turn._

"_Wha' ya all playin' at?" she asked irately when she stepped towards the table to pick up the half bottle of whiskey to wave at each of the men. "Ya tryin' ta ge' Michael drink?"_

"_I'm fine Fi," Michael told her with a smile when he took the bottle from her and poured some more in his glass before placing the bottle back onto the table._

"_Sure ya are," Fiona told him, her voice causing him to gravitate towards her. Her smile widened when he looked upon her with passionate eyes and she found herself drawn to him as she moved closer to sit herself down in his lap._

"_Uh…Fi—"_

_Lunging forward Fiona covered his mouth with her own, stealing the words from his lips as she silenced him with a fiercely passionate kiss, causing every one of his senses to spark into overdrive. Pulling away abruptly she gasped in a breath when she hovered close to his lips and grinned down at him seductively. _

"_I'm goin' up ta bed…are ya comin' wit' me?" she whispered as she moved off of his lap to stand beside him. "Unless ya wan' ta stay here an' play—"_

"_No," Michael's voice squeaked when he stood up suddenly causing the four men around the table to grin up at him in amusement._

"_Tha's settled," Fiona held out her hand and wrapped it around his to tug him away from the table and towards the door._

"_Don' ya be wearin' tha poor man ou' Fiona," Patrick called before he took another swig of whiskey and swallowed it down. "We'll be needin' him in one piece tomorro'!"_

_A hollow thud sounded when Fiona's hand came into contact with Patrick's head, causing the other men in the room to break into fits of laughter again before their sister yanked her boyfriend out of the door._

"Looks like nothin's changed," Patrick told him, his voice bringing him out of his memories. "Ya wa' never good fer anythin' when she wasn' around!"

Shaking his head Michael stepped away from the table and looked over towards his mother, ready to ask her what had happened to make everyone in the room behave so civilly to each other but she spoke before he could even open his mouth.

"Hey honey," Madeline's eyes shone with relief when he came towards her. "Fiona's in the bedroom."

Nodding silently he glanced across to Colleen Glenanne and noticed the tiredness around her eyes. He regarded her thoughtfully before he took a step towards her, hesitation causing him to draw in an uncertain breath.

"Mrs Glenanne," he spoke softly and waited for her to look up at him before he continued. "Sam's going to take you, Patrick and Seamus to my loft for tonight. Sean's already there."

The older woman's eyes clouded over when she slowly shifted forward in her seat and held her hand up to him. "Yer a good boy Michael…ya wa' always goo' enough fer our Fiona."

Opening his mouth to offer some kind of thanks, he was silenced again when she shook her head sternly.

"I'm tryin' ta apologise ta ya boy, so le' me say it befer yer'll be intarruptin'."

Clamping his mouth shut, Michael moved towards the couch and cautiously sat down beside her. His eyes widened in surprised when she took hold of his hand again and held it between both of hers. "I ca' understan' me babby no' wantin' ta be speakin' ta me an' I can' make har listen ta me, bu' ya have ta make har understan' I'm sorry fer wha' I di'."

Michael could already feel the tension in his body when she released his hand and stood up shakily to look towards Madeline who got to her feet as well.

"Thanks fer lookin' after me girl fer me," Colleen told her when she looked towards Patrick who was watching their interactions before he nodded his approval.

"I…I'm going to check on Fi," he told her quietly, uncomfortable with the attention she was giving him. "Tell Sam when you're ready."

"I'll be leavin' now then," she nodded as she slowly got to her feet to look towards Madeline. "Thanks fer tha tea."

Nodding silently Madeline watched as the older woman commanded her two son's attention without having to say a word. Throwing his cards onto the table, Patrick stood up and took hold of his mother's arm. "Seamus, will ya take mammy outside. I need ta talk ta Fiona befer we go."

"We'll come to the loft tomorrow," Michael's voice stopped Patrick in his tracks and he turned to look at him. "She doesn't need the stress right now."

"I undertan'," Patrick nodded as he glanced across towards the little girl who was watching her old family with something akin to fear in her eyes. "Tha babby belongs wit' tha two a ya."

Michael looked across to Caitlin and couldn't help but smile when a rush of love came over him. He'd never understood it before when people gushed over their children. He'd always figured he'd never have a family of his own, not with his career but that had all changed now. Holding his hand out to his daughter he watched as the fear in her eyes melted away and she clambered down from the chair and charged towards him. Bending slightly Michael scooped her up in his arms and held her against his hip when Sam closed the pizza boxes before following the Glananne's out of the door.

"Is tha bad man gone now?" Caitlin asked him suddenly, bringing his attention back to her when she wrapped her arms around his neck to press her cheek against his.

"He's gone," he nodded with a soft smile, tugging her closer before he moved back to place a kiss onto her nose. "Why don't you see if your grandma wants some pizza?"

Caitlin pulled back and looked at him, her eyes sparking with humour in exactly the same way as her mother. "It's _nana_, daddy," she giggled, placing her hand over her mouth. "Yer funny."

"Okay, okay," he laughed, shaking his head when he placed her back onto the floor so that she could join his mother in the kitchen. Glancing back towards the door leading out to the hall he sighed heavily before he looked back into the kitchen and to the bag he'd brought in with him. Moving towards it he picked it up and looked inside at the wide box before he smiled at his daughter who was forcing his mother to eat the pizza with her. Shaking his head in amusement he made his way towards the back of the family room, taking the bag with him.

Fiona was sitting on the edge of the bed when he walked into the bedroom and he was suddenly taken aback by how pale she looked. Placing the bag onto the bed he moved to sit beside her, running a hand over her hair.

"Sam's taken your mother and your brother's to the loft," he told her soothingly when he rested his hand on her shoulder.

"Good."

"Are you doing okay?" he asked softly as he gently rubbed the tenseness from the back of her neck.

Fiona sat up straighter and brought his hand to her lips, kissing his palm as one of her tears tumbled over his fingers. "I don't know," she sniffed. "I hate feeling so out of control like this. One minute I'm fine and the next I'm either crying or wanting to rip someone's head off."

"Is that why your mother was being so…civil?" he asked curiously. "And Pat—"

"I might have just told them what I thought of them," she sighed, her lips turning upwards into a smile when she thought of the shocked look on her mother's face. "She had it coming…they all did."

"Did it help?" he asked as he lifted his hand to comb his fingers through her hair.

"No, not much, I couldn't say everything I wanted because Caitlin was there," she sighed miserably. "And then I got sick and had to run to the bathroom."

"Isn't that pretty normal?" he asked her with a smile. "Pregnancy hormones and all that…stuff…"

"I don't even know if I am pregnant," she corrected, laughing as she swiped at the moisture in her eyes. "It could be stress."

Squeezing her arm he leaned across her and pulled the bag he'd brought in with him and placed it in her lap. "There's only one way to know for sure."

Fiona's eyes widened when her gaze left his to look down into the bag before she pulled out the pregnancy test, staring down at it with apprehension.

"What if I am?" she asked quietly, unable to meet his gaze. "It'll be harder this time."

"I'll be here," he told her reassuringly as he dipped his head, forcing her to look at him. "So will my mom and Sam."

"Babies can get messy," she told him quietly when she turned the box over in her hand. "They want attention all the time…you won't be able to sleep, I'll get…huge…I'll—"

"Fiona," his voice cut through hers, silencing her words as he placed a finger under her chin to lift her face upwards. "Take the test."

"Are you ready for this if it's positive?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly when she waved the box in the air between them. "Are you ready for what this means?"

Leaning into her he placed a soft kiss onto her forehead, his lips lingering over her skin. When he pulled back he framed her face in his hands and smiled. "Yes."

They were silent for a few more moments, neither of them feeling the need to speak. Breaking the silence, Fiona pulled their hands down into her lap and ran her fingers over his arm, sighing heavily.

"What?" he asked questioningly when she looked down at the pregnancy test box that was nestled beneath their joined hands.

"The last time I did one of these I was on my own," she told him, unable to hide the sadness in her eyes. "You were gone and I…"

"I'm here," he told her, his voice softer than before. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you the first time."

"It's okay," she whispered as she leant against him. "I guess I'm just a little…"

"Scared?" he murmured against her when he pressed his lips against her forehead. "Me too."

"Yeah," pulling away from him she slowly got to her feet and looked down at the box in her hand. "Are you going to wait for the results with me? Or I could—"

"I'll wait," he told her softly, causing her eyes to lift to his. "We'll wait together."

Nodding silently Fiona released a breath before she turned towards the door and left the room.

000

Sam shifted in his seat uncomfortably when he drove Fiona's family towards the loft. The silence was starting to become a little awkward and he had to physically stop himself from cracking a joke to compensate for it. Colleen Glenanne sat in the passenger seat looking straight ahead of her and he knew he wouldn't have to look into the rear view mirror to see Patrick's eyes on him. Gripping the steering wheel tighter, he took a deep breath and cursed the traffic in front of him for not going faster.

"So, I take it yer've know' Michael fer a long time?" Colleen's voice startled him and he glanced across at the woman seated beside him before he returned his eyes to the road.

"Yeah," he nodded. "A while."

"An' yer've know' me Fiona too?" she asked, her eyes scanning his face. "Wa' tha two a tham tagethar befer tha marriage?"

The question threw Sam for a moment until he realised what the woman beside him was asking him. He'd spotted the wedding rings but he also knew that there hadn't been an official marriage. Michael and Fiona weren't a conventional couple; they did things in their own way and in their own time, something he was perfectly fine with, but he doubted her mother would be.

"Uh…together as in together?" he asked cautiously, "Or together as in—"

"Ya kno' dam' well wha' I'm askin' ya," Colleen snapped. "Wa' me daughta livin' in sin wit' Michael McBride or Westen, whateva tha man's name is?"

Sighing heavily Sam shook his head and wished that the traffic ahead would clear so that he could dump off his passengers and escape. Turning his head to look at her he didn't know how to really describe the relationship his two friends had, but he knew they were more solid than most married couples.

"They're in a committed relationship if that's what you're askin'," he told her with as much conviction as he could muster. "There aren't many couple's I know who've gone through what they've gone through and stayed together."

"An' ya think I wa' wrong ta do wha' I di' don' ya?" Her eyes narrowed when she focused on his again, as if she was trying to read him. When he turned his head away, returning his eyes onto the road ahead she knew he did.

"I wasn't there so I can't answer you," Sam told her officiously, mentally congratulating himself on his diplomacy.

"I kno' ya do," she groused huffily and sat back further in her seat.

"Look, what does it matter what I think?" he sighed. "It's not my kid ya took, shouldn't you be having this conversation with Mike and Fi?"

"Me girl won' talk ta me," she snapped angrily and clamped her hands together on her lap.

It was on the tip of his tongue to snap right back at her but he bit back his words before he could say them. The last thing he wanted was to have a confrontation with the man sitting in the seat behind him.

"Well that's Fi for ya," he shrugged. "She can be a real hothead."

"She needs ta le' me explain bu' she won' eve' fergive tha family fer wha' we di'…I need ya ta make har listen ta me."

"Me?" Sam asked in surprise. "What makes you think she'll listen to me?"

"Cos she listen's ta Michael an' yer his friend."

"Look, I don't really have that much sway with either of 'em," he told her, relieved to see the turning that led them towards the loft. "It's Mike you want, but I don't know if he'd help ya…Caitlin's his too."

"I jus' need ya ta talk ta tham fer me, tha's all," Colleen told him, her voice softening slightly. "I may never see me girl agai' an' I don' wan' har ta hate me ferever."

Sam smiled inwardly with relief when the loft came into view, and he slowed the charger down to a crawl when he pulled up outside the metal gates. He could already feel his mind screaming at him to dump the passengers off and get out of there as fast as he could but he'd always been a sucker for a crying woman. Sighing heavily he glanced towards her and nodded his head slowly before he cursed himself for even considering what he was about to say.

"I'll mention it to Mike when I get back," he told her before he threw the door open to climb outside. Pushing the driver's seat forward he stood back and waited until Patrick climbed out of the back to rush around the car to help his mother out. When all three Glenanne's were out and on the sidewalk, Sam hurriedly moved to push the driver's seat back before he moved to sit back inside and started the engine. Leaning out of the window he gestured towards the metal gates. "Go on up, I'll see what I can do."

Patrick held onto his mother's arm when the charger slowly disappeared from view and turned to look up at the rusty metal gate with disgust. His youngest brother tentatively pushed the gate open, the metal scraping along the floor until it was wide enough for them to step through.

"Wha' a dump," Patrick complained when he looked around the open space and lifted his eyes to the rusty metal staircase. "McBride lives in thi'…shite hole?"

Moving towards the staircase, Seamus started to walk up them, his foot tapping on each rung as he moved. The door above them flew open and Sean stepped out with his gun in his hand, pointing it down at them only to withdraw his weapon and wait at the top of the landing until they reached him.

"It's abou' time ya go' here," Sean groused when Patrick reached the top of the stairs. "Ya missus is givin' me grief fer tyin' har up."

"Ya tied har up?" Patrick growled, pushing past his brother to rush into the loft.

"I had ta do somethin', tha woman's nuts."

Shaking his head, Sean closed his eyes briefly before he turned around to go back inside the loft only to be met with Marie's screaming voice as she bellowed obscenities towards her husband.

The slap, when it came surprised every person in the room, even Marie as she looked up at her mother in law with wide, startled eyes.

"THA'S _ENOUGH!" _ Colleen snapped when she glanced around the dingy room and towards the bed that dominated the room before she turned back to her daughter in law. "Ya can stop ya yellin' an' explain ta us wha' tha hell ya wa' thinkin' ta be comin' fer tha babby."

"She's mine," Marie hissed, her eyes sparking with fury when she glared towards her husband. "Ya ha' no righ' ta take har from me an' give har ta tha' whore. She—"

Colleen Gllenanne wasn't known for her patience or understanding, that had been knocked out of her a long time ago. Moving towards the woman she had always regarded as one of her own she stopped in front of her and cast her a frosty stare that silenced her immediately.

"Wa' Fiona righ', did ya plan tha whole thin' when ya twisted me mind agains' me own girl?"

Marie's eyes widened when she looked up at the fierce woman standing before her. Caitlin had been her everything, the little girl she had always wanted. How could they take her away?

"She didn' wan' har…she only wanted ta find McBride. She didn' care abou' tha babby," shaking her head, Marie choked on her own tears when her husband turned his back on her and walked out onto the balcony. "I wan' me babby…brin' har back ta me."

"She ain't yers," Seamus's low growl caused his mother to turn towards him, the remorse in her eyes clearly visible this time. "I tried ta tell all a ya bu' ya wouldn' listen ta me."

"I can' make up fer tha past," Colleen told him solemnly. "Bu' I made mistakes. I wan' ya ta tell yer sista I'm sorry fer wha' I di'."

"Ya can tell har yerself whe' she comes tomorra," he told her coolly as he turned away from her to look around the loft. "I'm goin' ta find a place ta crash."

"Thare's a sofa up on tha top," Sean told him, pointing over to the metal stairs. "Ge' ya head down an' I'll give ya a dig in a bit."

Without looking back, Seamus ignored the wails of his brother's wife as he climbed the metal steps that offered him his own piece of sanctuary away from the fiasco that was going on around him. Maybe after all this time his sister would finally get the answers she needed. Maybe the Glenanne's could be solid again…but even he knew those times of family unity had long since passed. At least he could hold his head high knowing he'd stuck up for her all these years and made sure Caitlin grew up knowing her mother. He just hoped Fiona didn't tar him with the same brush when she looked upon the rest of the family.

Reaching the landing he looked over the red leather couch and slowly sat down on it. It was battered and looked like it had seen better days, but even though he could still hear the yelling coming from the floor below, he'd developed his own way of blocking out the noise from many years of listening to his warring parents for so many years. With a heavy sigh he closed his eyes and laid down onto the couch, stretching his legs until his feet hung over the sides. Marie's yelling slowly faded into the background when he pulled his jacket up to cover his ears, muffling her voice along with everything else. His last thoughts as he waited for sleep to claim him were of home, and how he couldn't wait to return there.

000

When Fiona returned to the bedroom she found Michael in the same position as she'd left him a couple of minutes ago. Looking down at the white stick in her hand she tried not to think of how it could change their lives within moments whichever result it delivered. Placing the test onto the bedside table she allowed her eyes to linger over it for a few seconds before she looked back towards the man sitting on the bed watching her.

"What happens now?" he asked softly when she slowly moved to join him on the bed.

"We wait for three minutes…and then…" lowering her eyes down to her hands she tried to focus on her fingers but she couldn't seem to stop shaking.

Michael's hands closed over hers, his warmth seeping into her skin as he squeezed her fingers, urging her to meet his eyes. When she slowly lifted her head to meet his gaze he was lost. He was caught up in the intensity of her and he knew right in that moment that whatever the results of the test he would be by her side for as long as he lived.

Moving forward he kissed her, his lips lingering over hers for a few seconds before he slowly pulled away. Looking down at her he could see the uncertainty in her eyes and all he wanted to do was take it all away. Glancing across at the white stick that was like a huge beacon in the room he retraced the last few weeks in his mind to when this new baby could have possibly been conceived. They hadn't exactly been careful after he'd taken her home after the ordeal with O'Neil. He hadn't been thinking at all, all he could focus on was her and how close he'd come to losing her.

_Soft moonlight filtered through the partially open drapes to bathe the couple in the bed in streaks of radiance. They had gone to bed as soon as he'd brought her home from his mother's, their need to be together brought on by the fact that they couldn't bear the pain of being apart once again._

_Fiona sighed heavily as she wrapped her arm around his torso, pulling her body closer to him. Moving her head onto his chest she listened to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, content to wrap herself in his warmth for as long as she could._

_"Are you awake?" he asked softly as he looked down towards the top of her head._

_Fiona's lips upturned into a warm smile and she shifted slightly, lifting her head to look up into his eyes. "I can't sleep."_

_"Me neither," he sighed, pulling her closer to him as he spoke. Her warmth seeped through his skin to caress his body and fill him with an enormous sense of peace. His fingers danced over her flesh, gliding up her back until he reached the silken strands of her hair, absentmindedly combing his fingertips through, all the while trying not to think of how close he'd come to losing her forever.._

_Fiona let a contented sigh escape her lips and snuggled in closer to his chest. "Did your mother give you a hard time for bringing me home?"_

_His hands stilled in her hair, her question causing him to remember the dubious looks from his mother when she'd waved her finger at him and told him not to take advantage of 'that poor girl'. Lifting his shoulders slightly Michael leaned in slowly to kiss her hair. "Yeah."_

_"Really?" a knowing smile lit her face as she looked up at him only to return her head to his chest and wrap her arms around him, hugging him tighter briefly before she relaxed her arms. "I bet that was a great conversation."_

_"Oh it was," he smiled at the memory, his mother's warning still very much in his mind. "She misses you." Being careful of her wound he moved his other arm to wrap it around her, surrounding her with warmth to cocoon her in his embrace as he buried his lips in her hair. "I think she wanted you to stay for longer."_

_Fiona closed her eyes tightly, fighting against the burning tears that had suddenly gathered there. Madeline had treated her like she was her own and she'd missed that feeling for such a long time. "It was…nice…"_

_"Fiona," he sighed softly before moving a finger beneath her chin to lift her face. When their eyes met in the darkness he could see the sparkling sheen of tears emanating from her, and still the power of her emotions managed to break his heart. Leaning down, he pressed a soft kiss on her lips hoping that the gentle touch would banish the past, his lips providing the reassurance where his words could not. Feeling her relax beside him, he encompassed her in his embrace letting her seek refuge in his warmth. He hoped she understood by now that everything he had to give was hers and nothing would change that._

_Fiona's hand slid along his upper body, her fingers scraping enticingly over his chest. She still marvelled at how much she craved him and not for the first time she found herself wishing that they could always be together like this. Moving off of him slightly, she adjusted her weight and pressed an arm into the soft mattress to lift herself up._

_Wordlessly, they came together, their lips drifting closer as the magnetic pull between them fused them as one. The gentleness of their kiss slowly became more demanding and the embers of passions began to flare into smouldering flames. Hopelessness and pure need fuelled them when soft touches and adoring kisses became more arduous as one touch only sufficed to spur another and then another._

_Michael groaned into her mouth when she increased the pressure of her lips, her kisses becoming more demanding in her bid to show him how much she needed this. Her body shivered slightly when his hands roamed her back, and she groaned with desire as his fingers snaked across her skin. With skilful touches he set her on fire, causing her to whimper his name over and over._

_"I want you now," she whispered when their lips parted briefly only to seal together just as quickly, the delicate touch becoming more passionate with every passing second._

"_Fiona," he hummed as his body moved against her, the heat of her body sending his senses into overdrive. She urged him on, gently coaxing him on with the soft whimpers that overcame her when he showered her with everything she had ever wanted. The whimpers became gasps, and the gentle movements became more erratic as they both strove for a release that no other lover could ever provide._

_Throwing her head back against the pillows she groaned his name when he burst within her, pulling her over the edge along with him, scattering their groans of release into the air until they both floated back down together. He collapsed against her, his shaking body sending wave after wave of love into her, leaving her in no doubts that he never wanted to lose her again. Lifting her arms, she stroked his slick back and moved her neck to allow his seeking lips to take solace in the heat of her skin…_

"Are you ready for this?"

Fiona's voice brought him out of his thoughts and he had to force himself to push images of their love making to the back of his mind. Nodding his head he squeezed her fingers in some kind of reassurance, both excited and scared at the same time.

Releasing his hand Fiona sighed heavily and got up from the bed, her fingers reaching for the pregnancy test to snatch it up only to thrust it towards him.

"You do it," she forced out the words and felt her body trembling when he reached up to take it from her. Her heart was thumping wildly inside her chest and it seemed an eternity before he looked down at the test in his hands. He was silent for a long time before he finally lifted his head to look at her, his eyes welling with emotion. He gasped out a breath when he looked back down at the stick in his hand before tossing it onto the bed to get to his feet to stand in front of her.

"What does it say?" she asked nervously, not knowing whether it was good news or bad. Stepping forward she could already feel her heartbeat thudding inside her chest when she tried to read his eyes. "Michael?"

When he surged forward to pull her into his arms she couldn't seem to focus on anything but the feel of his arms around her. His lips trailed a line of kisses over her cheek until he came to a stop beside her ear, his breath forming the words that would change their lives forever.

"We're having a baby…"

TBC


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Thank you for all of your reviews on here and on twitter and for your PM's, favourite author and story adds. Your kind remarks are very humbling and I am extremely grateful to all of you who take the time to read and review my stories. **

**Special thanks to my wonderful PCC friends, Purdy's Pal, DaisyDay and Jediskysinger, who brighten my days with laughter and who always read through sections of stories for me. **

19

The news that Michael had delivered to the woman standing within his arms suddenly sank through to his mind, to bring a wave of panic along with it. A baby…they were having a baby… Pulling back he met Fiona's eyes and allowed his gaze to travel down her body to settle on her flat stomach. He didn't know what he'd been expecting when he looked at her now, but normal wasn't it. How could she look so normal when…

"I won't be showing for a while," Fiona told him reassuringly when he looked as if he was about to keel over at any second. "I'm only a few weeks."

"Huh?" he asked in confusion, his mind fogging over when all he could think of were the things they needed to buy. They'd have to buy a stroller…he'd have to push a stroller…him, Michael Westen…burned spy…

"Pregnant," Fiona's soft laugh filtered through to his mind, the sound of her causing the jumbled up images to scatter away until he could only see her standing before him. "I'm only a few weeks pregnant."

Michael's mouth opened and closed, still trying to fathom how their lives were going to change when a sudden thought struck him. Before he'd looked down at that test she'd been worried about his reaction…_his_…but now that they knew for sure he hadn't stopped to think of how this news had affected her.

"Are you okay?" He asked her, reaching for her hand. "I know you were worried—"

Fiona regarded him adoringly before she suddenly surged forward, knocking his hand away as she sealed her lips to his. Her movements took him by surprise, her lips stealing his words before he could stumble over them and it took all of two seconds for his mind to stop asking questions and realise what was happening. Moving closer ee relaxed against her, his flaccid arms slowly coming around her to hold her tightly against him as he responded to her in every way and deepened the kiss.

Fiona was losing herself, something that had always happened whenever she was with this man, whichever name he used. He was her friend, lover, other half and everything else in between and she didn't think could survive if she ever lost him from her life again. He was kissing her with so much love, pouring everything into this kiss that had taken them both by surprise. When he suddenly broke the kiss to bury his face into her shoulder she could feel him gasping against her skin, his hot breath warming and cooling her at the same time..

"Are…you okay?" she asked when she could finally speak, repeating his words back to him as she struggled to control her breathing. "With this…?"

Lifting his head, Michael couldn't contain the emotion filling in his eyes when he met her gaze. There was something he couldn't quite put into words how he was feeling or the pure adoration that he wanted to spill out into words. This woman had already given him one beautiful child and now she was carrying another one inside her. There were no words to describe to her just how amazing she actually was or how much he loved her, so instead he lifted his hands and cradled her face between his palms as he bent to kiss her.

000

When Michael and Fiona finally emerged from the bedroom they were both finding it hard to hide the pure elation from everyone else around them. Blurting out the news wasn't something they had intended on doing and Michael couldn't believe just how lightheaded he was feeling. He felt Fiona's fingers curling around his, her smile anchoring him back to the ground. Squeezing her fingers one last time he released her to meet his mother's questioning gaze.

"Are you two okay?" she asked dubiously when her son hadn't lost the smile from his face since he'd come into the room.

Instead of answering her he made a beeline for the little girl who was helping to dry some plastic plates, a look of concentration on her face. Glancing across towards Fiona, Michael matched her tender smile when he moved behind Caitlin to place his hand onto her head.

"Do you still want to go home?"

Caitlin placed the plate on the table and turned to grin up at her father before she turned around on the stool to launch herself at him.

"Can we go ta ge' a new book?" she asked excitedly. "An' will ya read ta me?"

Michael couldn't contain his elation when he hoisted his daughter onto his hip, his eyes taking in every inch of her beautiful face. Moving forward he planted a noisy kiss onto her cheek, smiling when she giggled as she tried to push his stubbled cheek away from hers.

"Daaaaddddyy," she squealed when he rubbed his rough cheek against hers, only pulling away when Fiona came to stand beside them.

"Yes we can get a new book," he grinned as he gazed towards the woman he loved, his eyes shining with so much adoration. "Anything you want honey."

"Can I have a cat?" Caitlin beamed, her infectious giggle causing her parents to stop looking at each other and focus on her.

"Nice try," Fiona told her with a doting smile. "But no!"

"Awww," Caitlin sighed only to smile again when she'd thought of something else. "Can we go ta tha beach?"

"We can tomorrow," Fiona nodded as he reached out to run a finger over her daughter's cheek. "After I say goodbye to your nana Glenanne."

"An' Uncle Seamus?" Caitlin asked, her voice dropping a little when she tugged her father closer.

"Yes baby, they have to go back to Ireland." Fiona watched her daughter's reaction carefully, part of her still a little apprehensive that her daughter wouldn't want to stay, but the worry slipped away within moments when Caitlin's smile reappeared.

"It'll be jus' us?" she asked brightly, linking her hands behind her father's neck.

"Us?" Michael looked down at the little girl in his arms and nuzzled his lips against her temple before he peppered small kisses there. "You, me and mommy."

"And nana too?" Caitlin reminded him.

"And nana," he nodded, his eyes lighting with a smile.

The door suddenly opened to reveal Sam Axe, his expression looking every bit as relieved to be home as they were to see him.

"Uncle Sam," Caitlin squealed excitedly when Michael placed her back onto the floor. Charging towards the older man, Caitlin careered into him, wrapping herself around his legs until he bent to scoop her up onto his hip.

"Well it's good to see you too honey," he grinned, leaning forward to press a kiss against her forehead. "Did you save me any pizza?"

"Yep," the little girl nodded, her enthusiasm contagious. "I saved ya two bits…"

"Two?" Sam asked, his lips turning upwards into a wide smile when Caitlin held her hands up to show him the sizes,

"Thay're this big," she told him proudly. "Do ya wan' ta eat tham?"

"I sure do li'l darlin'," he grinned as he tapped the end of her nose affectionately with his finger tip.

"Can ya read ta me befer we go home?" she asked quickly, her words tumbling out of her mouth one after the other. "An' can ya do tha voices agai'?

"Caitlin," Fiona caught her daughter's attention before she could convince Sam to do anything else. When Caitlin turned to her mother she beamed her a wide smile before she wrapped her arms around Sam's neck and pressed her cheek to his.

"It's okay, Fi…I've got it," Sam grinned, his smirk telling her that her friend and her daughter had joined forces to stay together for a little while longer.

"I thought you wanted to go home," Fiona looked at her daughter in exasperation, the smile on her face growing wider when she realised that the little girl in Sam's arms wasn't going anywhere for a while.

"Can we stay?" Caitlin asked, her wide eyes gazing at her mother. "Pleeeeeeease…"

"Yeah Fi," Sam repeated, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Pleeeease…"

Shaking her head incredulously, Fiona couldn't help but laugh when Sam and Caitlin both looked upon her with those pleading eyes and she knew she couldn't refuse them.

"Okay…" she told them only to raise a finger, pointing to both of them like naughty children. "But, when we say it's time to go, it's time to go."

"Okay _mom_," Sam groused, only to break out into a smile seconds later. Turning to the little girl in his arms he leaned forward to whisper something into her ear causing her to break out into fits of giggles.

"Yer funny Uncle Sam," she told him as she placed both of her hands on either side of his face to keep him still. "Ca' ya read Mog ta me?"

"I'll read anythin' ya want honey," he told her as he carried her with him towards the kitchen.

Fiona turned to the man beside her and smiled up at him when he draped his arm around her shoulder.

"Did that just happen?" he asked in bewilderment when his daughter didn't even look back at them.

"Oh don't worry Michael," Fiona's soft voice pulled his attention back to her. "She still loves you more."

"Very funny, Fi," he groused, his eyebrows arching into a scowl when he watched Caitlin's interaction with his best friend. He hadn't quite gotten used to sharing his daughter's affection with anyone, and he couldn't help the pang of jealousy that was so fleeting that it disappeared just as quickly.

"What are you going to be like when she starts dating?" Fiona asked him, enjoying the flash of panic in his eyes. "You hadn't even thought that far ahead had you?"

"Oh she's not dating," he told her, shaking his head emphatically. "_Ever."_

"So you're going to keep her locked up until she's—"

"Fifty," he told her, his eyes glowing with adoration when he broke out into a grin. "Or sixty…"

"Michael!"

Both Michael and Fiona turned towards Madeline who had been watching the whole exchange with barely contained laughter. Moving towards her son she patted his cheek affectionately and followed his gaze towards the little girl who had stolen all of their hearts.

"She really is a special girl," she smiled when she turned back towards them. "And the new baby will be special too."

"Wha—" Michael's mouth opened wide and he turned to Fiona first and then to his mother. "How?"

"Oh come on Michael, I'm a mother," she grinned. "You think I haven't noticed Fiona's trips to the bathroom… and besides, the pregnancy test in the bag you brought in was a dead giveaway!"

"Madeline…we…" Fiona shook her head and looked upon the woman who had always been like a mother to her. "We didn't know for sure, that's why we didn't…"

"Honey, it's fine," Madeline's lips turned upwards into a smile before she engulfed her into a tight embrace. Pulling back she patted Fiona's cheek, keeping her palm against her face. "You are the _best _thing that's _ever _happened to Michael and this family."

Her words caused sudden tears to well in Fiona's eyes and no matter how many times she tried to blink them away they refused to budge. Moving forward she engulfed the older woman into a hug, relishing the feel of motherly arms around her.

"He's the best thing that happened to me too," she whispered, swiping at the tears in her eyes. "He gave me a family."

"You're one of mine honey," Madeline whispered, feeling her own eyes watering with the sentiment. Moving bank she laughed tearfully when Fiona did the same, both of them trying to compose themselves.

Michael watched the two of them awkwardly and didn't really know what he was supposed to do. He'd never been in a position like this before and it had become a little overwhelming. As if she sensed his uneasiness, Fiona released Madeline's hand to turn towards him, the smile on her face melting away any of the fears that lingered in his eyes.

"Caitlin's happy where she is right now," she told him softly. "I want this thing with my family to be over."

"I know Fi, it will be," he sighed, placing his hands on either side of her shoulders, his thumbs skimming her skin.

"No I want it over now…tonight…" lifting her eyes to his she watched as realisation dawned in his deep blue orbs and hope he would understand that she couldn't do this anymore. "I want them gone."

"We'll go tomorrow—" he started, hoping he could reason with her but she was already shaking her head.

"No, if I leave it then I'll have time to think," stepping away from him she looked around for her bag. "I want to do this tonight so you can either come with me or I'll go on my own."

"Fiona…" sighing heavily he caught her hand and held onto her before she could make her escape. "Listen—"

"I'm done listening," she snapped, stepping out of his reach. "I need to say things to them while I'm angry enough to say them, so either come with me—"

"I'll come with you," he sighed, his gaze drifting towards their daughter who was still engrossed in Sam and his story. "But we leave the minute it gets too much for you."

"Michael—"

"I mean it Fi," he told her, his words causing her to stand stock still to look up at him, her challenging scowl melting away when she saw the concern in his eyes.

Closing her eyes briefly she opened them again to step up to him and lay a hand on his chest. She could already see his tough exterior slipping and she knew he only wanted to keep her safe, but he had to realise that until she dealt with this then she would never be able to put it behind her.

"I promise I'll be good," she told him softly, her light teasing coaxing a smile to his lips.

"You say what you've got to say and then we leave," he told her. "That's it, no arguments."

"Okay," she nodded, knowing that when it came to it they would leave when she wanted to, and she wasn't about to let any man tell her otherwise. Turning to Madeline she opened her mouth to ask about Caitlin but the older woman was already holding her hand up.

"Go, get this thing sorted out now, don't let it fester," she told them. "Caitlin will be just fine."

"I don't know how long we'll be," Fiona told her quietly already feeling herself torn between needing to finish this with her family and staying here with her daughter. Every feeling seemed to be magnified inside her ever since O'Neil had come into her life to disrupt it again, but she had got her daughter back because of him too.

"If it gets too late I'll put her to bed and you can all stay here for the night," Madeline told her with a reassuring touch to her arm. "You'll feel better when you've made your peace."

Fiona's eyes flittered over towards her daughter again and nodded as she turned to look at the woman before her. "Thank you," she whispered as she clasped her hand in hers, squeezing her fingers before releasing her again.

"Thanks mom," Michael repeated when he manoeuvred Fiona towards the door so that they could get this over with. His eyes met his daughter's to bring a surge of love to his body and he suddenly couldn't remember what their lives had been like before her. "Your mom and me just have to go out for a while."

Caitlin looked over at her parents and nodded her head before she turned back to the story Sam was reading to her causing the two people beside the door to stay rooted to the spot. Michael and Fiona both shared a look that encompassed everything they were feeling right at this moment. Michael was pretty sure that Fiona was feeling the loss and abandonment just as much as he was when the small child was more interested in the man she was nestled against instead of them.

"Go," Madeline told them softly, a knowing smile lingering over her lips. "She'll be fine."

"I don't think I'll be fine," Michael grumbled when he moved towards the door and pushed it open only to stop when Caitlin called his name as she ran towards him.

Turning back around he dropped to his knee and scooped her up against him when she wrapped her arms around his neck to squeeze him tight. Standing upright he took her with him and held her close when she clung to him. Relief swamped his body when his little girl didn't want to let him go and all of the unreasonable feelings that had rampaged around his mind only moments ago suddenly disappeared.

"Are we goin' home when ya get back?" she asked when she pulled away to hold her nose against his.

"Yes, as soon as we get back, okay?"

Caitlin nodded and tugged him towards her again before she drew back to kiss him soundly, her eyes meeting his as she smiled. Turning her head she caught sight of her mother and reached out her arms for her, giggling when Michael passed her over.

Fiona held her daughter against her, relishing the feel of her. Holding Caitlin like this only proved to make her determination to hash things out with her family, stronger. She'd missed so much and it was all because of their interference. Turning her head, Fiona pressed a kiss to Caitlin's cheek, keeping her lips pressed against her skin to kiss her over and over again until Caitlin began to squeal with laughter.

Pulling back Fiona looked right into her daughter's eyes and felt every emotion surge right through her. "We love you baby, be good for nana okay?"

"I love ya too mammy," Caitlin smiled, moving forward to wrap her arms around her. "An' I love daddy."

Michael's eyes clouded over and he couldn't seem to focus on anything else but the two most important women in his life. Moving towards them he laid his hand over Caitlin's head and moved to kiss her temple before he stepped away, knowing if he held her he wouldn't ever be able to let her go.

"We should go," he whispered close to Fiona's ear. "The sooner we do this, the sooner we can put this behind us."

Kissing her daughter one last time, Fiona placed her back onto the floor and watched as she ran back towards Sam and settled against him again. With a heavy sigh Fiona nodded slowly and tore her eyes away to follow Michael towards the door before she could change her mind.

000

When Michael pulled the charger to the metal gates that led to the loft he turned off the engine and turned to look at the woman beside him. She'd hardly spoken two words since they'd left his mother's house and he knew it had more to do with the people they had come to confront and not for leaving Caitlin behind.

"Are you okay?" he asked her softly, his hand reaching across the seat to clasp hers.

"What is this was my fault?" she asked him suddenly as she turned her head to look up at him.

"Fiona, how can this be your fault?" turning fully around to face her he tried to read her eyes but she had already turned away.

"I should have fought them," she told him, her voice already shaking. "I should have taken Caitlin with me…I've been blaming them all these years when I should be blaming myself…"

"No," shaking his head he reached out and took both of her hands in his and urged her to meet his gaze. He knew this had been building up for the last few days and he couldn't seem to erase the guilt that cascaded throughout him for his part in her anguish. "It's not your fault."

"I left our baby…"

"No, you were forced to leave her," he corrected her, squeezing her fingers tighter. "Did you want to leave her?"

"_WHAT?_" her eyes snapped up to his and she shook her head unequivocally. "No of course I didn't want to leave her!"

"Then you didn't give her up," he told her, all the while watching her for any signs that she wasn't ready to do this. "So we either do this now and get it over with or I can turn the car around and head back to my moms…you decide…"

His words sank into her and she lifted her head to look up towards the loft. The run down building housed so many memories even though not all of them were good ones. This was the place she had reconnected with the man beside her. This was also the place where they'd had so many fights, but this was also the place where their new baby had been conceived. Was it right to erase those memories with fresher ones that she knew she would want to forget? Taking a breath she released it slowly and turned back towards him.

"Let's do this."

"You're sure?" he asked softly as he lifted his hand to tuck a strand of hair behind his ear.

Nodding, she offered him a determined smile before she released his hand and opened the door to climb out. Michael knew that look in her eyes and it usually ended with someone on the receiving end of her temper, and for once he was thankful it wasn't him this time. Pushing the door open he climbed out to join her on the sidewalk, and followed her when she shoved the metal gates open.

They were halfway up the metal steps when the loft door flew open. Sean and Patrick both stood on the top landing pointing guns towards them until they realised who they were. Lowering his gun, Sean glanced towards his brother who was a little slower at lowering his arm.

"Ya should a tol' us ya wa' comin' over," Patrick told them when he kept his eyes trained on his sister, his gun still pointing towards them.

"I don't need an invite to my own home," Michael's voice dropped to a hiss and he instinctively moved up a step so that he was in front of Fiona. Glaring at Patrick Glenanne, Michael could already feel the anger seeping through him and out of that anger came the man the Glenanne brother's had once known. "Ya wan' ta lower yer gun thare Patrick or I'll be forced ta lower it fer ya."

"I'd like ta see ya try," Patrick snapped back, his eyes narrowing to slits when he looked down at the man on the stairs. "McBride, Westen whateva tha hell ya call yerself now."

Michael could feel Fiona's hand on his back and instantly felt his anger slowly dissipate. Taking a breath he turned to look at her and held out his hand, relieved when she took it.

"We've come to talk to all of you," he told both men, his natural accent slipping back into his words. "Fiona wanted to do this now before you all leave."

Lowering his gun Patrick gazed down at his sister and nodded curtly before he moved back inside the loft to leave Sean on the top step. Patrick knew it was his own guilt that fed his anger, leading him to threaten his sister's boyfriend as well as his own wife. Looking towards Marie who was still sitting in the chair that Sean had tied her to, he felt that same guilt rising up inside him. He knew she had always wanted another child and he should have put a stop to her disastrous plans before they had festered in her mind.

When he heard his mother's sharp intake of breath he didn't need to look up to see that Fiona and Michael had entered the loft. Swallowing his remorse he stepped aside and moved over towards the wooden work bench and leant against it, avoiding his wife's furious gaze.

"Fiona…" Colleen's sudden smile vanished as quickly as it had appeared when she saw the look in her daughter's eyes. It was the same look she'd given her so many years ago when she'd walked out of the house with a tiny baby in her arms.

"I'm no' here ta exchange pleasantries wit' ya," Fiona told her coldly, even though the slight hitch in her voice exposed the turmoil in her heart. "I wan' ta know why ya di' it."

Colleen looked upon her daughter with sad, remorseful eyes and she chanced a step closer towards her but Fiona backed away. Staying where she was Colleen lowered her gaze and tried to remember when things had gone horribly wrong.

"I though' I wa' helpin' ya," she sighed sadly, her voice breaking when she lifted her eyes again. "I didn' think ya wa' ready ta brin' a babby inta tha world, no' withou' tha fader by yer side."

"I was by her side," Michael's voice hissed out before Fiona even had a chance to speak. "I was _always_ by her side."

"Whare wa' ya when tha babby wa' born?" Colleen asked him then, the anger in her voice rising. "Ya left har an' broke har heart…ya lef' har wit' yer babby in har belly."

"I didn't know she was pregnant," he snapped back, defending his actions that weren't even his own all those years ago. "If I had—"

"Wha', ya woul' a stayed by har side ta raise yer child?" Shaking her head Colleen Glenanne fixed him with her steely gaze making no attempt to hide the contempt she felt for him all those years ago. "Ya left har."

"You say that as if I wanted to leave," Michael's voice hitched in his throat when he felt Fiona step closer to him to place her hand on his arm. Closing his eyes briefly he opened them again to gaze down at her before looking back up at her mother. "I left to protect her…and to protect all of you."

"All a us?" Patrick huffed. "Ya didn' do it ta protec' anyone bu' yerself."

"My cover was blown, I was given half a day to get out of Ireland or Fiona and the whole Glenanne family were going to be targeted." Michael's eyes fell to the woman beside him, his hand sliding around her waist. "I left to protect you."

"Ya wa' lyin' ta us," Patrick hissed, waving his gun around in the space between them. "Ya ca'—"

"PATRIC' GLENANNE PU' THA GUN DOWN," Colleen's booming voice cut through her son's rant causing him to clamp his mouth shut. "I wan' ta hear from me girl."

"Why?" Fiona asked then, her eyes challenging the woman who had raised her. Years ago she hadn't had the strength to stand up to this woman, her force within the Glenanne clan too strong to break free from. Taking strength from the man beside her she drew from him and found the voice that had eluded her so many years ago.

"You called me a whore…you told me I'd burn in hell and then you let her…" pointing towards the silent woman in the chair she waved her finger towards her. "You helped her take my baby from me."

"I though' I wa'—"

"What? Helping?" Whirling around Fiona's eyes darkened in anger when she faced her brother, stepping towards him menacingly. "And YOU," she growled, her tone causing Patrick to back away. "You helped her."

"I…"

"You waited until I did the job for Armand before you plotted behind my back," she hissed, her eyes flaring when she looked at each of them in turn. "All a ya ca' rot in hell fer all I care…c'mon Michael, I've heard enough shite fer one day."

"I'm sorry," Colleen blurted when Fiona grabbed Michael's hand, pulling him with her towards the door. "Ya have ta le' me—"

"WHAT?" Fiona seethed, swinging back around to face her mother. "Explain?"

Michael tugged on Fiona's hand and slowly turned her around to face him, his gaze causing her to tighten her hand around his. She knew he was worried about her but what she hadn't expected was the sheer volume of protectiveness that oozed from him. Taking a deep breath Fiona closed her eyes briefly, gathering her senses before she opened them again, gaining strength from the man beside her.

"I nee' ya ta kno' how sorry I am child," Colleen told her, her eyes lingering over her daughter before she shifted her gaze onto Michael. "Ta both a ya."

"You can't apologise for what you did," Fiona tried to keep her voice even as she spoke but she couldn't stop the slight tremor that shook her words. "You can't take it all back and pretend it didn't happen."

"Fiona…ya have ta know I only wanted wha' wa' bes' fer ya child," Colleen told her, her eyes imploring her to understand. "I never wanted ta hur' ya."

Fiona allowed her mother's soft tone sink in to her for a few moments and she was transported to a long time ago when she had believed those words. She was on the verge of telling her mother that maybe one day she could possibly forgive her when Marie broke her silence, the spite in her voice tearing all of the forgiveness that Fiona may have had away.

"Why are ya all talkin' thi' over wit' har?" Marie's hateful voice broke through the tension in the room bringing everyone's eyes on to her. Focusing on Fiona she fixed her with a steely gaze, transforming that hatred into words. "Ya wa' supposed ta die afta that babby wa' born bu' like tha bitch ya are ya wouldn' le' har go."

"Wha' ya goin' on abou' woman?" Patrick hissed, striding towards her and raising his hand. "Ya ca' shu' ya mouth righ' no'."

"Why?" Marie's eyes flared with fire, bitterness seeping through her words. "I wa' tha one who told O'Neil's cousin whare ta fin' har…it wa' me…"

The hard slap when it came resounded around the room but the woman who had the red mark growing on her face didn't back down. Glaring up at her husband, Marie narrowed her eyes and spat at him, hatred coursing through her. "If ya wa' a real man ya would a given me a daughta…ya promised me we coul' keep tha babby an' then ya took har away."

"Shut yer mouth," Patrick growled, his hand bawling into a fist as he loomed over her while she laughed at him, goading him onwards with spiteful words.

"Ya sai' yerself she couldn' look afta tha babby, an ya agreed wit' yer ma tha' I shoul' take har—"

Fiona swallowed hard and looked to the couple who were screaming obscenities at each other before she focused on her mother again. Opening her mouth she was going to ask if what Marie had said was true but Michael's voice stopped her.

"Is this true?" he asked, his voice in the low tone that Fiona knew so well. Releasing her hand, he glanced down at her before he stepped in front of her when Patrick turned around. "Did you plan this whole thing?"

"Wha'?" Patrick turned away from Marie, ignoring his wife's obsessive cusses. "Ya think I wanted anotha mouth ta feed?"

"_DID_ you plan _this_?" Michael repeated, his teeth clenching in fury as he took a step closer towards Patrick Glenanne.

Unclenching his fist, Patrick dropped his hand and shook his head in defeat. "I didn' agree ta it righ' away."

"I though' I wa' doin' tha righ' thin'," Colleen spoke then, her solemn voice causing Michael's eyes to look upon her with disdain.

"You took Caitlin away from her mother," he spoke lowly, his voice shaking. "You took her away from us."

"Ya weren' aroun'," Patrick growled, his anger made far much worse by the woman screaming his name behind him. Turning around sharply he opened his mouth to scream back at her but stared on in shock when his sister stormed across the room to punch his wife so hard that the chair fell backwards onto the floor.

"Fer yer information I met up wit' Michael later an' we stayed tagethar until a few years ago," Fiona's voice cracked with fury as she stepped back from the now silent woman who was lying whimpering on the floor.

"I'm sorry fer wha'—"

"Ma if ya say yer sorry one more time I swear I'll walk out ta tha' door righ' now," Fiona words cut through her mother's, the force of them silencing the older woman instantly.

Michael watched the woman he loved as she turned back towards him and moved to stand by his side. His worried eyes watched her every move until she looked up at him and offered him a reassuring smile and allowed him to slide an arm around her shoulders.

"I want you out of our lives," she looked directly at her mother and brother in turn. "Tomorrow, pack your stuff and leave Miami…don't try to contact either of us again, ever."

"Bu' Seamus—"

"Oh Seamus, Sean and Liam didn't do anything to us, and they'll always be welcome," she waved her finger in her mother's direction, circling it around to her brother and his wife. "You _are_ not."

Taking a step backwards Fiona reached for Michael's hand and led him towards the loft door, turning back one last time to look up at the landing where Seamus was watching. Smiling, she nodded to him before turning towards Sean to lay a hand on his arm briefly.

"Thank you," she told him in a whisper. "You brought her back to us."

"Ya take care a me sister McBride," Sean's voice was strangely emotional as he looked around his sister and to the man by her side. "An'tha babby."

"I will," Michael nodded, holding out his hand to shake Sean's firmly before pulling away. Looking down at Fiona he smoothed his hand over her back and guided her through the open door, ushering her outside. Pulling the door closed behind him he kept a careful eye on her when she walked quietly down the stairs, her silence unnerving.

When they reached the charger he pulled the door open for her so she could sit inside before he ran around to the driver's side, wanting to rush her away from the loft as fast as he could. When he pulled the door shut behind him he turned to look at her and felt himself break inside when he saw tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Fi," he whispered, reaching out for her but she pulled away.

"Please get me away from here," she asked brokenly, her voice cracking under the strain as she turned her head away from him so he couldn't see her falling apart.

Swallowing hard Michael started the charger, the roar of its engine usually bringing a surge of energy to spark through him but this time he couldn't feel a thing. Reaching across the seat he grasped one of her hands that was nestled in her lap and brought it across with him, laying it against his thigh as he manoeuvred the car around only to grasp hold of it again when he drove them away from the loft and the past.

000

When they arrived back at Madeline's Fiona hurriedly wiped her fingers across her cheeks with her free hand. The whole journey back had been made in silence, the only sounds being the roar of the engine mixed in with her soft sobs.

"I can go in on my own," Michael offered, his eyes watching her for any signs of distress. "You can wait in the car."

Shaking her head, she sniffed back the last of the lingering emotion before she blew out a slow breath and turned to look at herself in the cab mirror. She could already see that whoever looked at her would be able to see right away that she'd been crying and suddenly his offer to go in alone was sounding a lot more appealing but she wasn't going to let that happen. "I'm okay…"

"You're sure? I—"

"I'm okay," she told him firmly, her voice catching suddenly. Clamping her eyes closed she allowed the feel of his hand to give her the courage she needed to open her eyes. "I just need to see Caitlin."

Nodding silently Michael released her hand and reached for the door, pushing it open to climb out and join her on the sidewalk. Ignoring her half hearted protests he grabbed hold of her hand, clasping it tightly in his own as he pulled her along with him, knowing that the next few minutes would determine whether they went back home tonight or not.

"MAMMY," Caitlin's delighted squeal brought a swift halt to the sadness that had encompassed Fiona on the ride back from the loft. Dropping Michael's hand she moved forward and sank to her knees to welcome her daughter into her open arms.

"I've missed you," Fiona whispered, planting kisses against her daughter's hair as she wrapped her arms around her.

"Uncle Sam read ta me t'ree times," Caitlin told her excitedly when she pulled away from her mother to lean against her.

"Three?" Fiona couldn't help but smile when the little girl's eyes sparked with excitement.

"Yep," Leaning backwards Caitlin reached out to her mother's hair and formed one side of it into a pony tail only to release it and wrap her arms around her again. "Can we go home now?"

"Well that depends on whether you want to get a new book tonight." Michael's voice brought Caitlin's eyes up to his and felt himself fall for her a little more when she cast him a beaming smile. Moving away from her mother, Caitlin careered towards her father and giggled when he lifted her up so she could wrap her arms around his neck.

"Can we ge' Mog?"

"Uh…don't you already have that one?" he asked in confusion as he glanced across to Fiona who had stood up to take the glass of iced tea that Madeline held out to her.

"Are you okay honey?" Madeline whispered when Fiona smiled up at her, her slight nod causing Madeline to release the breath she'd been holding. She hoped this whole thing with Fiona's family had finally been dealt with. "Is it…"

"It's over," Fiona told her softly as she lifted the glass to her lips.

"I haven' got all a tham, daddy," Caitlin told him as she laid both of her hands on his face. "I need some new ones."

Swallowing down a mouthful of iced tea Fiona's hand slipped down to her flat stomach and held her palm over the tiny life inside her. Placing the glass onto the counter she turned towards Caitlin and Michael, already feeling her spirits lifting. It was time she put the past behind her and relished the time she had now with her own family.

Catching Sam's eyes she smiled when she saw him looking down at her hand on her stomach and then the sudden realisation reaching his eyes. His mouth opened and closed and all Fiona could do was nod her head and watch the delight reach his eyes.

"Mike wasn't sure, but you're…"

"I am," she grinned, too happy to reprimand Michael for blabbing something they'd agreed to keep to themselves until they were sure.

"Well I'll be damned," he grinned. "This needs celebratin'."

"Well maybe not tonight," Fiona told him softly, his enthusiasm causing her to become teary eyed again.

"Yeah we should get to the store if we're going to get that book Caitlin wants," Michael nodded, his lips nuzzling his daughter's hair. "Do you know which one you want, honey?"

Caitlin looked up at her father thoughtfully as she tried to remember every book she wanted, reeling through the very long list in her mind.

"Caitlin, there's one Mog book you'll be needing soon," Fiona smiled, her eyes catching Michael's as she spoke. "I think it's something you'll want to read."

"Wha' one mammy?" Caitlin asked in excitement, her eyes shining in wonder when her mother moved closer towards her to lean her head against Michael's arm.

"Mog and the baby."

The room grew silent for a few seconds, all eyes on the little girl who still hadn't realised what her mother was trying to tell her. Moving forward Michael dipped his mouth to her ear and whispered something that caused her to squeal with delight and launch herself so that she was in between both of her parents.

"Can we call har Meghan?" she asked excitedly when she pulled back to look at them. "I wan' a sista called Meghan."

"What if you have a brother?" Michael asked cautiously, knowing the Glenanne woman had a tendency to fly off the handle without warning.

Caitlin screwed her nose up and shook her head adamantly before throwing her arms around them once more, all thoughts of brothers forgotten when she held her parent's tight.

TBC

In the final chapter


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has left reviews on here and on twitter throughout this entire story. Thank you for all of your PM's, favourite story and author adds and for all of your kind words. I appreciate it more than you could ever know and I am so grateful to each and every one of you.**

**Thank you as always to three ladies who have become my dearest friends and who I couldn't ever be without. Purdy's Pal, DaisyDay and Jedi Skysinger, thank you for reading through my stories and for your encouragement even when I doubt myself. Your friendship is my foundation and you all get me through some of the toughest days. I love you all so much.**

**Lastly thank you to everyone who has stuck with this story right through to the end, and to my new friends on twitter for being just utterly wonderful.**

20

Caitlin held onto Michael's hand as he moved the shopping cart around the Super Target store and helped him place things inside the metal cart. It had been eight months since she'd come to live with her real parents and in that time she had never once asked about the family she'd left behind in Ireland.

Since that night when Fiona had all but broken ties with her mother they had settled into family life with relative ease. The new house had become a haven and the loft just a place where Michael and Sam planned jobs that they didn't want Fiona to know about. She had become even more short tempered than usual with the pregnancy hormones playing havoc with her moods, but after everything she had been though, the people around her shook it off and let her volatile moods slide.

Looking up at her father Caitlin watched the concentration on his face when they walked down the baby isle to see all the various items that only made his eyes grow wider. Placing a hand over her mouth she tried to hide the giggle that erupted when she saw his panic stricken eyes.

"Mammy said we need ta get nappies," she told him as she lowered her hand when they came to the diaper section. Lifting her eyes to meet his she broke out into a smile when he looked down at her in confusion, her mother's words echoing inside her head.

"_Tell daddy which ones we usually buy baby, and make sure he gets the right ones."_

"You mean diapers?" he asked with a slow smile when he saw the sparkle in her eyes. So far her accent had slipped between American and Irish, American slowly becoming more dominant since she had started attending the neighbourhood school.

"Daddy why do you call tham tha'?" she asked seriously, shaking her head. "Why do ya call tham diapers? Tha's a silly name."

Her voice brought his attention back down to her and he looked at her thoughtfully when he considered her question. Reaching out for two different brands he looked down at them and couldn't for the life of him see what the difference was.

"Mammy said ya had ta get those one's," Caitlin told him when she came around to point at the smaller pack in his hand.

"These?" he asked curiously when he looked down at the pack with a huge teddy bear on the front. "Are you sure?"

As soon as he'd asked the question he saw his daughter transform into her mother right before his eyes. Looking up at him the little girl put her hands on her hips and shook her head only to sigh heavily at him when he watched her in amusement.

"Daaaaadddy, I'm five," she told him holding up her hand to spread her fingers and thumb wide. "Mammy said I had ta tell ya tha ones we needed."

"Okay," he nodded when he replaced the others on the shelf. Looking back down at his daughter he couldn't help but melt a little when she offered him an adoring smile. "But if they're wrong I'm blaming you!"

"Thay're tha right ones," she told him confidently. "Mammy showed me."

"Okay I believe you," he laughed as he looked along the rest of the isle. "What else does your mom usually buy from here?"

Caitlin's eyes lit up when she saw the various baby clothes and grabbed his hand to pull him towards them. The racks held lots of tiny socks and little outfits, all of them so small that for a moment Michael felt a little daunted by it all.

Reaching for a pack of socks Caitlin pulled them off the shelves and handed them to him. "Mammy said we needed ta get lots a these."

"Lots of socks?" he asked when he took another two packs off the shelves.

"Yep," Caitlin beamed before she headed towards the vests and pointed to them. "An' these."

Michael shrugged his shoulders and picked a pack off the shelf and held it against his hand, the tiny item causing him to look down at it in wonder. This was for their baby, the tiny little life that was growing inside the woman he loved. She was cranky and her moods slipped from happy to explosive in a matter of seconds but whenever he looked at her and her expanding stomach he found himself more enraptured by her every single day.

"Do ya think I was tha' little?" Caitlin asked when she saw his eyes lingering over the garment in his hands.

Michael's eyes dropped down to her and for a moment he could feel himself slipping into the deep well of guilt. He couldn't answer that question because he hadn't been there for either of them, and that cut him more deeply than he could ever admit. Placing the baby things in the cart he moved forward and laid his hand on her head before he smiled down at her. "You were."

"But I'm big now," she grinned. "Aren't I daddy?"

"Yes you are," he nodded, still not quite understanding how his life had changed from being a spy to totally revolving around this little girl. "Your mom said we could pick up some new books while we're here."

"Yep," Caitlin nodded distractedly as her eyes wandered over the various little outfits that were arranged in various colours. "Can we get tha babby some a these?"

Michael glanced to where she was looking and felt his heart sink a little when Caitlin had moved across to the little dresses and frilly outfits. So far she hadn't even entertained the idea of having a brother, and he just hoped that when the baby came along that she wouldn't be too disappointed if it was boy.

"I think mom wants to wait until the baby arrives before we buy any of those," he told her gently. "What about some onesies instead?"

"Mammy got those already," she sighed. "But we didn't get anythin'pink."

Shaking his head, Michael reached out and tugged her against him, holding her against his side. "Well if we have a girl I'll bring you here and you can choose anything pink you want."

"I don't want a brother," Caitlin told him adamantly. "Boys a yucky."

"That's because they're not your baby brother," he smiled. Looking down at the little girl by his side he was usually accustomed to seeing her bright smile beaming back at him but this time she looked positively solemn.

Smoothing his hand over her hair he waited until she lifted her head before he felt his voice dry up in his throat. "Hey," he asked her worriedly. "What's wrong?"

She was silent for a few moments before she fixed him with her wide beautiful eyes. "Daniel said ya wouldn' want me if I had a brother."

"Daniel?" he asked in confusion before the realisation suddenly dawned. More of Marie's poisonous words had been finding their way into more and more conversations over the past few months. They still didn't know the full extent of the damage she'd caused, but they had just taken every obstacle and removed them all one by one.

"He said ya left mammy because I was a girl."

Closing his eyes briefly, Michael tried to control the angry burst that wanted to find its way to Ireland and tear into Marie Glenanne. Taking a breath he opened his eyes and looked down at his little girl feeling nothing but love.

"You and your mom are everything to me," he told her, not quite knowing if he'd spoken in words a five year old would understand. "The new baby won't change that, okay."

"Will ya still read ta me if I have a brother?" she asked when she contemplated his words. "An' can we still go ta tha beach with Uncle Sam?"

Relief swamped through Michael's senses and he felt a little piece of triumph that he had been the one to make this small breakthrough with his daughter. Crouching down on one knee her pulled her against him and lifted her up into his arms as he stood up. He felt himself melt a little more when she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tight.

"I'll always read to you," he told her reassuringly as he broke out into a smile. "And when the new baby comes we'll have to look after mommy, you and me, okay?"

Pulling back Caitlin looked into her father's eyes and nodded slowly as she moved forward to kiss him soundly before she wrapped her arms around him again. "Okay."

Michael held on to her for a few more moments before he placed her back onto the floor and smiled down at her when they moved back to the shopping cart that was a little way behind them. Caitlin looked around at the various outfits and sighed when she looked over at the soft toys that were arranged on different shelves.

Noticing her unusual quietness Michael followed her eyes over towards the display and tapped her on the shoulder. "Is there something there you'd like?"

Caitlin's eyes grew wide when she turned to look up at him, a slow smile forming on her face. "I like tha cat."

"The cat?" he asked as he looked over the stuffed arrangements until he spotted a white toy cat on the top shelf and made a beeline towards it. Plucking it off the shelf he held it up to her. "This one?"

The smile on Caitlin's lips grew wider and she simply nodded her head in wonder when her father handed the toy cat to her. Taking hold of it she looked down at it and hugged it against her before she looked up at him with bright eyes. "Is it mine ta keep?"

There were very few things that caused Michael Westen to become emotional, his girlfriend and daughter being the only ones who saw this side of him. The little girl before him had interwoven herself within him so tightly that he couldn't ever see a day when he would ever not love her. Nodding his head, he watched in wonder when she looked up at him like he was the most important man in the world. Nothing could have ever prepared him for the love her felt for her, not even if it had been written down for him. He was a spy, stoic and able to hide his emotions, but he was finding that hiding anything from his little girl was virtually impossible.

Caitlin looked down at the toy cat once more before she propelled herself towards him to wrap herself around his legs as she looked up at him adoringly. "I love you daddy."

For a few seconds Michael was immobilised and found the battle with his feelings becoming almost impossible to hide. Grinning down at her he felt his heart melt a little more when he repeated the same words back to her, trying not to let her hear the hitch in his voice.

"Can we get tha babby a teddy bear?" she asked suddenly, unaware of her father's crumbling exterior. Looking over towards the small bears she unwrapped herself from around him and moved towards the lower shelf and bent to pick up a tiny white bear and held it up to him.

"The baby will love it honey," he nodded, pulling himself back together. Looking around the rest of the isle he tried to remember if there was anything else he had to buy when Caitlin squealed in excitement and sped off towards the man who knelt to scoop her up to cover her face in kisses.

"Well hello to you too li'l darlin'," Sam grinned, his eyes catching his friend's surprised gaze.

"Sam?" Michael asked when Sam approached him, Caitlin still in his arms. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh you know…shopping," Sam told him innocently and averted his eyes when Michael looked him over before he shook his head.

"Okay," Michael nodded. "So where is it?"

"Where's what?"

Shaking his head Michael turned away and smiled when he started to push the cart further along the isle. "Never mind Sam."

"Hey it's not like I'm followin' ya Mikey," Sam told him with a grin when Caitlin wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Daddy brought me a cat," she told him excitedly when she held the toy up to show him. "An' we got a teddy bear fer tha babby."

"Well aren't you goin' to be the best big sister," Sam grinned. "So you're just out with your dad today?"

"Yep, mammy's tired so we're goin' ta make har dinner," she grinned. "Do ya want ta come too?"

Sam's eyes sparkled with love when he moved forward to press a kiss onto Caitlin's cheek. "I think your mom might need some rest honey."

"Fi won't mind if you show up for dinner Sam," Michael told him with a smile when he looked at them. Caitlin had Sam effectively wrapped around her little finger and he knew if she asked him for the moon his friend would do everything in his power to get it for her.

"Well maybe I'll stop by later," Sam nodded when he squished his lips against Caitlin's cheek again to kiss her.

"I'm goin' ta help daddy make pancakes fer mammy," Caitlin told him as she readjusted the cat and teddy bear in her arms so that she could hold onto Sam better.

"Pancakes?" he asked in surprise. "For dinner?"

"Yep, tonight. Mammy likes tham."

"Okay then," Sam chuckled. "How's your mom today, is she…_happy?_"

"Of course she's happy Sam," Michael told him with a sigh when they made their way to the checkout and he began to load the items onto the conveyer belt. Turning back to Caitlin he smiled when she handed him the stuffed cat and the teddy bear so he could pay for them.

The woman who was behind the checkout smiled up at him when he handed them to her, her smile brightening when she saw all of the baby items stacked before her.

"Oh how adorable," she gushed when she looked from Michael to Sam and then to Caitlin. "You're getting ready for a new baby."

The smile on Michael's face dropped suddenly and he subconsciously took a step away from Sam. "Oh, yeah…but not…" waving his hand between the two of them his mouth opened and closed before he tried to explain but it only came out as babble.

Sam's eyes sparked with amusement when he saw his friend tripping over his own words. Shaking his head he looked towards the woman's name tag and turned on his charm when he took the toys back off of her when she'd scanned them, to hand them back to Caitlin.

"Barbara," he smiled, keeping his eyes fixed on her while Michael hurriedly placed the items she'd scanned back into the cart. "He's about to become a daddy again so he's a little…flustered…"

"Oh?" Barbara looked to Michael who stopped what he was doing and shot a glare towards Sam before he started packing the items again.

"This beautiful young lady here," Sam told her as he quickly kissed Caitlin's cheek before he pulled back to grin at her. "She's his little girl."

"Yeah, my wife is having our second any time now," Michael told Barbara quickly, making sure she saw the flash of gold on his hand.

"Oh," Barbara gushed hiding her embarrassment behind a smile. "Well congratulations."

"Thanks," he told her curtly when opened his wallet and handed her a stack of bills, just wanting to escape from there as fast as he could.

"I on the other hand don't have any kids, or wives," Sam grinned, flashing his flirtatious smile at the woman who was blushing profusely. Winking at her he turned back to Caitlin who grinned at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Uncle Sam's comin' ta dinner with us," she told the woman who looked at the two of them and smiled.

"Well you both have a good day," Barbara told them brightly as Sam flashed her another smile before he followed a fast moving Michael out of the door.

Barbara watched him as he disappeared out of the store and shook herself before she turned to offer a cheery greeting to the next customer, her day feeling somewhat brighter now.

000

Fiona was in the kitchen when Caitlin arrived, running through the door like a burst of sunshine. She didn't wait for her father to follow her through and forgot all about him in her haste to show Fiona what they'd brought. Fiona's face lit up into a smile when Caitlin raced forwards and held a tiny teddy bear out to her before laying her ear against her swollen stomach. The little girl giggled when a tiny foot kicked against her, her sibling objecting to the pressure against it. Lifting her head she pressed the teddy against her mother's stomach before she leant in a little closer and held her hand against it.

"Me an' daddy got tha babby a teddy bear," she grinned as she showed her mother the little bear. "We got a white one."

"I can see baby," Fiona drew in a sharp breath, her eyes squinting slightly when she felt a spasm in her back. Shaking it off just like she had since they started last night, she gazed back down at her daughter and took the little bear from her hand, looking down at it with a smile. "It's perfect. Why don't you go and put it in the baby's crib?"

"Okay," Caitlin beamed when she took the teddy bear back from her mother and lifted her toy cat. "An' Daddy got me a cat."

"I love it," Fiona told her, trying to sound enthusiastic even though her lower back was aching. "It looks just like a real one."

"I know," the little girl grinned when she held the toy to her face and nuzzled it. "I love it."

Fiona watched Caitlin in amazement when she turned around and ran right past Michael, waving to him as she disappeared towards her room. Shaking her head she met his eyes and felt herself falling into his gaze. Ever since they had found out about the new baby he'd been watching her more and he never let her go far without hovering close by. At first his constant presence had started to grate on her nerves, but as she became bigger and the tiredness crept in she was grateful to have him beside her.

"We ran into Sam at the store," he told her as he placed the bags onto the table. "Caitlin invited him over for dinner tonight."

"Really?" shaking her head she couldn't help the slow smile that crept over her lips. Looking behind him she waited for a few seconds before she caught Michael's gaze. "I thought he would have come back with you."

Shrugging his shoulders Michael decided not to tell her of the incident in the store and instead focused on the items he'd brought home with him.

"Caitlin told me these were the right ones," he announced when he averted his gaze onto the pack of diapers he pulled from the bag.

Fiona looked over at the packet in his hand and was in the process of nodding when a sharp pain shot right through her, causing her to gasp in a breath. Moving her hand over her abdomen she closed her eyes and leant against the kitchen table for support, waiting until the pain wore off enough so that she could focus on him again.

"Fi?" he asked worriedly, the packet in his hand thrown aside when he came to stand beside her. "What's wrong?"

"I'm okay," she told him through a strained voice as she tried to calm him even though she was timing the tightening in her lower body. Blowing out a slow breath she straightened back up and grasped hold of his hand, as much to reassure him as to steady herself. "It's the practice pains."

"You're sure?" he asked worriedly, unconvinced by her explanations especially in light of what Sean had told him when she was giving birth to Caitlin. Stepping closer he smoothed his hand down her back until he rested over the base of her spine, hoping the heat from his hand would ease the pain. "Remember the doctor wants you at hospital as soon as you feel anything, especially after what happened with Caitlin."

"I know what she said," she told him softly as she leaned into him. "And I know after what happened with Caitlin that this baby won't rush either."

"I just don't want the same thing to happen," he sighed smoothing his hand over her back as he looked down at her adoringly. "How are you feeling?"

"I'll just be glad when this is over…" she huffed, irritability creeping into her words. "I'm tired of being fat."

Michael knew he was treading on dangerous ground and thought carefully before he answered. He remembered earlier in her pregnancy when she'd complained about being bigger and he'd made the mistake of telling her she wasn't. He'd learned the hard way that _that_ wasn't the right answer when she'd stormed off in a foul mood until his mother had explained to him just what he'd said wrong. He was still learning that a pregnant woman _didn't_ want to be told she wasn't showing in the early stages of pregnancy, so he took a breath and held it before he braced himself for her reaction.

"You're not fat, you're…" he watched her closely when her eyes shot to his, ready to duck out of the way. "…Beautiful."

Whatever reactions Michael had been expecting, Fiona dissolving into tears wasn't one of them. Reaching forward her turned her around pulling her in closer but couldn't quite make his arms reach around her because of her protruding baby bump.

"I can't even get my arms around you anymore," she wailed miserably as she lowered her forehead onto his shoulder. "I'm huge, I can't see my feet anymore and you can't even hold me…"

Michael was mortified and for a moment he wished he knew what to say to make her feel better but her sudden gasp forced every other thought to evaporate from his mind.

"Fi?" he asked cautiously when she suddenly grew very quiet. Smoothing his hand down her arms he stood back slightly and whispered her name when she didn't answer him.

"I'm…" she started, but her words came to a sudden halt when she felt a pop followed by a trickle coming from beneath her. "Oh," she gasped, her eyes growing wider with surprise.

"What?" he looked down at her, trying not to let his anxiousness creep into his voice. "Fiona?"

She looked up at him then, a nervous smile forming on her face, still not quite believing what had just happened. "I think my water just broke."

_"What?"_ he gasped, panic already sparking in his eyes. "Okay…_you_ stay there…"

"Where am I going to go?" she asked him incredulously as she reached down to her swollen stomach to spread her fingers wide. Taking a deep breath she was surprised by her own calmness. After what had happened when she went into labour with Caitlin, she had expected to experience that same level of complete terror, but so far she hadn't felt afraid.

"I'll call my mom," Michael's voice rose when he patted his pockets in a panic as he looked around for his phone. "Where—"

"Michael," Fiona drew herself up straighter and pointed to his phone that was sitting beside his keys on the table where he'd placed it when he'd come in.

"Right…you sit…" his voice came out in a rush as he moved with lightning speed towards the bedroom hitting his knee against the door along the way. Cursing quietly he pressed his mother's number while he frantically tried to remember all of the things they'd planned for when this happened.

Fiona stood in the same spot; her amusement with Michael's panicked state causing her to momentarily forget that her waters had just broken. Letting go of the table she looked behind her towards the couch and started to head towards it, instantly regretting her decision to move when another sudden wave of pain tore through her abdomen bringing her to her knees. She tried to control her breathing, holding the panic inside to a minimum as her insides gripped tighter causing agonizing ripples to wash over her to slowly subside a minute later.

"Mich-ael," she moaned when she could already feel another wave of tightening that was slowly causing beads of sweat to form on her forehead. "You need…to call…the hospital."

"I already did," he breathed as he came running back into the kitchen, almost tripping over when he saw her bent on the floor. Everything they had been preparing for was suddenly forgotten when panic took over to push everything else aside.

"Fi?" he gasped, his fear stricken eyes shooting to Caitlin's when she hovered in the doorway.

Fiona drew in a sharp breath and manoeuvred herself around so that she could climb back to her feet, her eyes fixing on her little girl.

"It's…okay baby," she breathed, forcing a smile to her face as she tried to hide the pain in her eyes. "Nana's…coming to stay with you."

"Mammy…" Caitlin looked at her mother before she cast wide worried eyes onto her father.

"It's okay honey," Michael told her softly, forcing himself to display an essence of calm for their daughter's sake. "Your nana's on her way over while I take your mom to the hospital."

Caitlin's eyes landed back on her mother and she slowly moved into the room, moving towards Fiona to take hold of her hand. "Do ya want me ta read ta ya mammy?"

Michael opened his mouth to say no but Fiona surprised him when she nodded to the little girl and offered her a tight smile. "I'd love you to read to me…you can come and sit with me while daddy waits for your nana."

Caitlin nodded and turned back around, running out of the kitchen and towards her room. Fiona closed her eyes and blew out the breath she'd been holding. She knew Michael's eyes were on her before she lifted her head towards him. He had that same expression of total disbelief on his face just like when he'd first found out about Caitlin.

"I don't want her to be scared," she told him softly when he came around the table to take a hold of her hand. "She's already been through so much."

Michael stepped a little closer towards her and smoothed his hand over her rounded stomach. He loved this woman more than he'd ever loved anyone in his life and maybe it was the raw emotions rampaging around his body, but he had never been more proud of her than he was right in this moment.

"What can I do?" he asked her softly when he felt her grip his hand a little tighter and lean into him. He knew she was in pain but he felt completely helpless when he knew he couldn't do anything to stop it.

Fiona held onto his hand and closed her eyes tightly, burying her head against his shoulder. The gripping pain tore at her insides and she could feel herself teeter on the edge of crying out but she gritted her teeth and held on to him until the pain began to subside.

Michael rubbed her back, smoothing his hand up and down her spine until she relaxed against him and lifted her head. Her whole lower body was burning and she could feel her previous calm state slowly slipping away when she remembered how this had felt the first time around.

"I think I need to..." she gasped again as another wave of pain shook her body, making it hard for her to catch her breath. She found herself leaning into him again wishing that his touch could ease the pain away.

Caitlin came running back into the room with her book tucked under her arm but stopped when the front door flew open. Madeline came charging through, her eyes already watering when she saw Fiona leaning against her son. She spotted her granddaughter watching her and instantly granted her a bright smile, diverting her attention away from her mother.

"Hey sweetheart," she beamed as she moved towards her. ""Are you doing okay?"

"I'm goin' ta read ta mammy," Caitlin told her as she pulled the book out from under her arm. "See."

"Well how about you read to me instead?" Madeline asked softly when she placed a hand on her head. "Uncle Sam's on his way too."

Fiona lifted her head from Michael's shoulder and pulled herself upright when she addressed her little girl. "Your baby brother or sister wants to come and meet you," she told her calmly as she held out her hand. "That means you have to stay here with nana."

"Is tha babby comin' now?" Caitlin asked excitedly when she rushed forward to take her mother's hand. "Can I see it?"

"Not yet baby," Fiona told her, her voice breaking a little when she felt the beginning of another contraction tightening her lower body. Gasping in a breath she leant back against Michael and grasped for any part of him she could find. "I have to…"

Madeline moved forward and turned Caitlin around to look at her and pointed to the book she was holding. "Shall we read your book sweetheart?"

"It's me new one," Caitlin told her brightly as she lifted it to show her. "Daddy got it fer me."

"Well why don't you kiss your mommy and daddy goodbye and we'll go and read it," Madeline told her with a smile, over exaggerating her enthusiasm of reading about the cat and her new adventures.

Caitlin nodded enthusiastically and turned back around to her parents, wrapping her arms around Fiona's lower body and kissing her belly before she turned and ran back towards her grandmother.

"The hospital's expecting us," Michael whispered when Caitlin disappeared with his mother. Smoothing his hand over Fiona's lower back he held onto her and helped her to walk towards the door, grabbing the bag she'd packed weeks ago before he pulled the door closed behind them.

000

An hour later, Fiona was in the delivery suite in the throes of full blown labour. She shifted her legs uncomfortably, modesty long forgotten as the pain began to slowly get worse and worse as time went on. She was tired, in agony and switched from anger to tears in a matter of seconds but no one around her seemed to mind.

Michael stroked her hair as he sat by her side. His eyes kept drifting to the screen that monitored her contractions and he found himself leaning forward wrapping his hands around one of hers when he saw another peak on the screen.

She drew in a sharp breath and gripped his fingers tighter. Scrunching up her face in pain she tried to even out her breath, but it was becoming difficult to even breathe.

Michael held his breath when his knuckles turned white. Fiona was squeezing his hand so hard that he lost the feeling in his fingers, but he didn't care. He just needed to stop the pain for her. He needed to do something, anything that would ease it.

"Hello Mrs McBride," the doctor smiled cheerily when she walked into the room. "How are you doing?"

"She's in pain," Michael snapped, his voice breaking when he smoothed his hand over Fiona's hair. "Can't you give her anything?"

"I'm afraid your wife is already too far into labour," she told him sympathetically when she came over to rub Fiona's leg as she watched the monitor, noting that another contraction was peaking. "Tell me when the contraction has eased and we'll have a look to see how far you've dilated okay?"

Fiona nodded through clenched teeth, letting out a slow breath as the contraction started to die away. "They're so…fast."

"That's good, the strong ones work the best," the doctor smiled as she came to examine her quickly before another contraction overtook her body again. "You're almost there Mrs McBride, only 2 more to go and then you'll be ready to push. Seems this little one is ready to come and see the world."

"Yeah…" she nodded, in the midst of a smile only to have it die away as another strong wave of pain caught her. She panted heavily as the agony ripped through her insides, so strong it took her breath away making it hard for her to breathe.

"You're doing great Fi," Michael urged her, desperate to ease her pain. "We're almost there...we—"

"SHUT…UP," Fiona yelled, shoving his hand away. "This is…_YOUR_ fault…YOU…"

"Fi?" he asked urgently when she reached for his hand again, sobbing his name when she pulled him closer.

"I wanna…PUSH…" she managed to groan as the overwhelming urge overtook her. Throwing her head back she gripped Michael's hand, her voice breaking when she sobbed his name.

Before the doctor even had a chance to look another contraction came in the wake of the first, taking over Fiona's body like she was something possessed. She squeezed Michael's hand hard and groaned painfully, her voice breaking on a sob when she turned to watch him with tear filled eyes.

"Don't leave…"

"I won't," he felt his voice breaking when he saw the pain in her eyes. He'd never felt so helpless in his whole life. Smoothing his hand over her hair he felt his own emotions slipping when he saw her writhing on the bed and there wasn't a damn thing he could do to stop it

"I don't want…you to leave," she sobbed into him. "Don't leave us again."

"I'll never leave you," he told her gently, holding her close to him as much as he could. "Never."

"You said that BEFORE," she told him angrily shoving him away, only to pull him back to her as another powerful wave overtook her body.

The doctor bent to examine her again, trying to be as gentle as she could. "You're fully dilated, so on the next contraction I want you to take a deep breath and push."

"We're almost there, Fi?" Michael told softly, rubbing her shoulder. He stood up to let one of the assisting nurses come over to check the contraction monitor only to have Fiona's grasping for him.

"Mich—"

"I'm here," he told her, moving quickly back to her side. He saw her breathing coming erratically again and he held onto her tightly as she pushed hard with the contraction, groaning through her teeth as she pushed.

"Okay, that's good," the doctor told her excitedly, giving her all the encouragement she could. "You're almost there now. I can see you baby's head…come on honey, we need another big push."

Doctor Davis met Michael's worried eyes and offered him a reassuring smile. Her encouraging voice reached through Fiona's pain fogged mind and she took a deep breath and pushed hard. Michael rubbed her back, his words of encouragement no longer grating on her nerves as she drew every ounce of strength from him.

One powerful contraction was followed closely by another until a few minutes later a baby's cries erupted into the room. Fiona fell backwards to rest on Michael's chest totally exhausted as the doctor laid their baby onto her stomach and wiped the blood away from its tiny face.

"Hello," Fiona sobbed to the little baby who was wriggling and mewing against her, its tiny cries causing both parents to dissolve into tears. Fiona looked up and saw Michael, tears pouring down his face as he gazed down at her and their baby in awe.

"Congratulations mommy and daddy," Doctor Davis beamed when she placed a blanket over the tiny baby. "You have a beautiful baby girl."

Michael's lips found Fiona's holding her in a gentle kiss before he slowly drew away to kiss her temple. He was totally consumed with love, his eyes watering uncontrollably.

"Thank you," he whispered into her hair as he moved down to their daughter to place a soft kiss on her head before he came back towards the woman he loved. He'd seen so many things over the years but nothing had ever compared to seeing his child being born. "That was…you were…"

"Does daddy want to cut the cord?" The assisting nurse asked, her own eyes glowing with emotion when she saw Michael and Fiona gazing at each other with complete and utter adoration.

Michael looked over at the Doctor dubiously, her encouraging nod the only thing that convinced him to leave Fiona's side. Moving to their baby he watched the nurse carefully when she directed him, and guided his hands to the right position. Watching his daughter intensely he held his breath when he cut, ready to pull his hand away if she showed any signs of distress. Before he really knew what had happened he was given a pat on the shoulder before he looked across to Doctor Davis who nodded her approval. He had never felt so elated before in his life as he came over to sit beside two of the most precious people in his life.

The assistant nurse had moved around to stand beside Fiona and lifted the baby away from her mother to rub all the blood away from her hair and face, before weighing her, and then wrapping her in a blanket before handing her back.

Fiona gazed down at this new life in her arms; mesmerized by the love she felt bursting from her heart. She gazed up at the man she loved again, feeling that same love flowing from his eyes as he leaned down to lift his baby daughter into his arms.

"She's beautiful," he whispered as he looked down into his daughters sleeping face, so much love brimming in his eyes. Moving back towards Fiona he came to sit down on the chair beside her, leaning over to kiss her lips again. "We have two little girls."

000

A few hours later Fiona was settled into her room, changed and refreshed, feeling sore and exhausted but too happy to sleep. Looking towards the chair next to her bed she smiled when she saw Michael holding their tiny baby, the look of wonder still present in his eyes.

Feeling her eyes upon him he lifted his head and smiled up at her adorningly. "She has Caitlin's chin."

"She does," she nodded with a smile and lay back against the pillows. "Did your mom tell you what time she was bringing her?"

"She's on her way," he told her softly as his eyes returned back to the sleeping baby in his arms. "She's going to love her."

"Well she wanted a baby sister," Fiona chuckled when she thought back to their eldest daughter's pleas and sighed wistfully when she relaxed back against the piled up pillows.

Getting up from the chair, Michael lifted the baby towards her and laid their tiny daughter back into Fiona's arms only to stand back and gaze down at her in awe.

He was so amazed by her and unbelievably proud. She had coped with it all and even after everything she'd been through before and after the baby's birth, she was still looking completely radiant. He hadn't thought it was possible to love her any more than he already did, but his feelings had only grown stronger, solidifying everything he couldn't put into words.

Moving towards the edge of the bed he perched on the side and leaned across to place a kiss onto her forehead before he pulled back to nuzzle her hair.

The door opened slowly to reveal Madeline, Sam and Caitlin, all three of them looking tentatively around the small room. Seeing her parents, Caitlin let go of Madeline's hand to run towards her father who was off of the bed in seconds and scooped her up in his arms.

"Hi," he grinned happily as he kissed her cheek. "Do you want to come and say hi to your baby sister?"

Caitlin looked down at the tiny little face before glancing back at her mother. "Is she ours mammy?"

Fiona couldn't help the soft chuckle that escaped from her lips when she grinned up at her daughter. "Yes baby, she's ours. Do you want to come and sit next to me?"

Nodding cautiously Caitlin waited for her father to lower her so that she could scramble next to her mother and sit up on her knees. Leaning across she kissed Fiona soundly and nestled against her as she slowly reached out a hand to stroke her baby sister's hair.

"She's soft," she whispered as she looked up at her mother with awe filled eyes. The baby started making soft mewing noises before she slowly opened her eyes, blinking slowly before closing them again. "She looked at me mammy."

"Of course she did," Fiona whispered softly when she kissed Caitlin's cheek. "You're her big sister."

Madeline moved closer to the bed and peered over for a closer look. Her eyes filled with happy tears and she made no attempt to brush them away when she looked up at her son. She had never seen him look so blissfully happy in all the years she'd raised him. He was a good father and a wonderful husband, even though he and Fiona hadn't made their marriage official.

"She's beautiful," she gasped at last, her eyes shifting back to Fiona. "She looks just like her daddy."

Fiona smiled up at her and lifted her daughter, offering the child to her grandmother. "Michael thinks she has Caitlin's chin."

Hearing her name, Caitlin looked over towards the baby in her grandmothers arms before she sat back down to snuggled up against her mother.

Sam who had remained silent since they came into the room moved to stand beside Madeline, gazing down into the baby's face, immediately bending to plant a gentle kiss on her head.

"Hello baby," he cooed, his voice sounding so unlike what everyone was accustomed to hearing.

Michael sat back against the bed, his arms holding his family close as he watched Sam become more emotional than he'd ever seen him before. When Madeline passed the baby across to him, Sam took her with such a delicate hold, lifting her until he adjusted to her weight. He gazed down at her for a long moment, trying to fathom how only yesterday she wasn't even here. Swallowing the lump in his throat he turned his face to her parents, unable to hide the emotion in his eyes. "She's perfect. What are you going to call her?"

Fiona smiled up at Michael before she smoothed her hand over Caitlin's arm causing the little girl to look up at her. "Do want to tell Uncle Sam and nana what your baby's name is?"

Caitlin gasped when a beaming smile lit her face. "I can tell tham now?"

At Fiona's nod she gasped in an excited breath and looked up at her family and smiled proudly before she felt her father's hand on her other arm.

"We're goin' ta call har Meaghan Madeline," she told them, instantly hearing a gasp from her grandmother who was looking back down at the baby in awe.

"Oh that's so..."

"She's got yer name nana," Caitlin told her proudly. "An' I've got me Auntie Claire's."

Madeline stopped to wipe a tear from her eyes as she came towards the bed, holding her arms out for the little girl who knelt up on the bed and hugged her tightly before she slowly released her to sit back down with her parents again.

"Thank you…I…" Madeline started, her voice catching as she spoke. Reaching out to her son she grasped his hand and squeezed his fingers, unable to find the right words.

"It's okay mom," he told her with a soft smile, his eyes sparkling with the same kind of emotion as hers. "We do too."

Sam rocked back and forth as he held Meaghan in his arms, his eyes roaming over every inch of her tiny face. He couldn't believe how something so small could stir these kinds of feelings inside him and for a moment he felt a pang of regret for the life he could have had if he hadn't chosen his job.

The baby in his arms moved and opened her mouth as she screwed up her face. Sudden panic flared in his eyes and he swiftly moved towards Fiona to lower the restless baby back into her arms.

"She wants her momma," he told Fiona with an embarrassed smile when he took a step away before she could see how much this was affecting him. He'd never cried…well almost never, and that wa something he'd never shown anyone, ever.

The door to Fiona's room opened slowly and a nurse popped her head around the door. Keeping her voice low she looked towards Madeline and Sam and smiled apologetically when she nodded towards Fiona. "I'm sorry to throw you out so soon but Fiona needs to rest…"

"Say no more," Sam nodded, relief flooding his eyes when he was finding it harder to hold back from dissolving into a quivering heap. Looking towards Fiona he nodded slowly and offered her a wide smile, his eyes telling her everything he was too embarrassed to say.

"Thanks Sam," she nodded, her eyes filling with tears that almost tipped him over the edge. To her surprise he came towards her and tapped her shoulder before he bent to place a soft kiss onto her head. Stepping away just as quickly he coughed uncomfortable and nodded to Michael, still not trusting his voice to break if he spoke.

"Get some rest honey," Madeline's voice brought a welcome intrusion and if she could see Sam's discomfort she certainly wasn't showing it. Leaning over she kissed Fiona's cheek before patting her face affectionately with the palm of her hand. Moving back she placed a kiss onto Caitlin's head and then on Meaghan's before coming around the bed to pull Michael into a tight embrace.

"Look after your girls, Michael," she told him softly, her voice catching when she smiled up at him. "I'll call your brother and let him know Meaghan's arrived."

"Thanks mom," he nodded. "For everything."

Nodding, Madeline offered him a watery smile before she took a step back and looked at her eldest granddaughter. "Do you want me to take you home sweetheart?"

Caitlin shifted on the bed and shook her head emphatically until Michael laid his hand on her head. "I'll bring her home with me."

"Okay," taking a step backwards, Madeline turned to follow Sam out of the door but looked back into the room before she left. Her son had found his purpose in life and she couldn't have been happier. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Michael nodded slowly his eyes meeting hers before his lips blossomed into a smile. He watched the door close and returned his attention back to the three most beautiful women he'd ever known in his life. Perching on the tiny bed he leant his head against the woman he loved and pulled Caitlin back against his chest. This was how he wanted to spend the rest of his life. He wanted to keep this moment forever in his memory because it was one he would always remember. Lowering his lips to Fiona's ear he closed his eyes and whispered the three words he'd never been able to say.

Fiona's gasp brought his eyes down to hers and he could see the brimming tears that welled in her eyes. Holding her two girls close to her she smiled up at him and allowed him to wipe an errant tear away before he bent to seal those three words with a kiss.

Caitlin yawned and snugged against her mother as she lowered her head to rest against her baby sister's arm. Closing her eyes she reached up to touch Meaghan's tiny hand and kissed her head when the baby gripped her finger.

Michael nestled his lips against Fiona's hair when he saw his two daughters already creating their own unique bond and he couldn't have been more proud. His life was complete now and this was all he'd ever wanted, it had just taken a beautiful Irish woman to show him. Closing his eyes he smiled against Fiona's hair and held on tight. It had been a rollercoaster ride since the moment he'd met her with so many ups and downs but he knew he would never tire of being by her side. Their ride was only just beginning…

The End

Thank you for reading


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